


The Historian

by SplatteredArtist



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Kingdom Hearts Fusion, Co-workers, Complicated Relationships, Friends With Benefits, Multi, Museums, Self-Insert, Slow Build, Workplace Relationship, Workplace Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2020-09-27 12:14:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 63,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20407576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SplatteredArtist/pseuds/SplatteredArtist
Summary: After countless months of job hunting, getting a job at the renowned Radiant Gardens Historial Museum and Research Center is a dream come true.Being a new hire has its perks, as well as its disadvantages when you have a few targets on your back.But with the friends and enemies you make along the way, it's no walk in the park.Updates Bi-Monthly





	1. The First Day

_Today is the day._

Today is the day I've been looking forward to for ages.

Ever since I graduated with my masters in museum studies, I have been looking forward to the brand new world of old artifacts and uncovering the world's secrets.

_Today is also the day I can start making money to finally pay my rent again._

"I'm glad that I took Aqua's advice to get here early. Those trains were a nightmare," I groaned under my breath as I started to jog down the cobblestone roads.

To be honest, I'm glad that my roommate Aqua mentioned that the one historical museum in the district was looking to hire a new full-time member.

If it wasn't for her eavesdropping on the executive director when he visited her cafe, she wouldn't have given me a beaming recommendation to him.

I felt a smile in the corners of my mouth as I knew that Aqua was the best roommate I could have asked her.

We met in one of my tourism classes as she wanted to open her own restaurant in the future, but she was a terrible cook. She said she would start small with her dreams outside of college and work up from there.

Me, on the other hand, found it difficult to find even a small part-time job to keep me afloat right after graduating. Aqua was a blessing in disguise as she took care of rent for both of us until I found a job.

And this museum was my one shot to get into the big leagues if I managed to keep this job long enough to apply it to my resume.

I felt the wind suddenly knocked out of me as I felt someone nearly run me over as we both toppled to the ground. I groaned as I slowly sat up, realizing that the mess of a human being was an older man. I gasped as I quickly tried to scramble off of him.

"Are you alright?" I asked as I started to dust off my pencil skirt. Even though it was their fault that we were both knocked down, I was just too nice of a person to yell at them immediately.

I took in their appearance as I noticed that he had a pair of headphones around his neck while the hairband that was holding his messy bun had snapped, and his firey hair started going all over the place.

I raised my eyebrow realizing that he was wearing a plain white t-shirt, skinny jeans, and a long-sleeved plaid shirt wrapped around his skinny waist.

He glanced up at me through his thick black frames as his bright emerald green looked up at me with a flicker of frustration behind them.

"Ah... Yes. Sorry about that, didn't mean to run you over," He said quietly for a moment that I barely heard him speak as I held my hand out to him. He nodded as he grasped my hands firmly and pulled himself up.

I smiled realizing that it was just his mistake before I heard the booming noise of the nearby clocktower go off.

"Oh no, I'm going to be late!" I cursed under my breath as I quickly turned away from the redhead fellow and bolted down the street.

* * *

I felt myself dripping in sweat underneath my clothes as I found myself nearing the giant museum in front of me. I could feel a flutter in my stomach as the anxiety started to amp the adrenaline in my body as I saw the beautiful building in front of me.

At the front steps, I could see three figures chatting among themselves as they seemed to be deep in conversation. I could feel my brain stop for a second as I could see one of the three figures, was the executive director of the museum.

Ansem "the Wise" Rian was standing there as he seemed to be well-dressed in a button-up shirt, khaki pants and had a red jacket draped over his shoulders. He seemed to see me out of the corner of us his coming up as he turned away from his colleagues and held his arms out gracefully.

"Ah, we were expecting you! I see that it didn't take you long to get here this morning," He said with a twinkle in his amber eyes as I nodded fiercely. "Y-yes Mr. Rian. Thank you again for this opportunity," I said bowing a little nervously as he laughed.

"Call me Ansem, no need for the formalities," He said as I looked back up at him to see he was now flanked by the other two individuals.

One of the men had long blue hair that reached his shoulders and seemed to be crossing his arms over his chest. The bluenette was wearing a black jacket with dark slacks, his arms crossed over his chest with a clipboard in hand.

I could feel his amber eyes glaring a hole through my head as a lightly frown crossed his face. Part of me wondered if it had anything to do with the massive scar on his face.

I quickly looked away in embarrassment for staring before I saw the other gentleman, a quiet older man with long platinum blonde hair, who was wearing a trenchcoat over his sweater vest and grey tweed pants. The flicker in his green eyes struck of curiosity and judgment.

"Ansem, please stop being so casual around the new hires," The blonde man scoffed as the bluenette agreed. Ansem coughed into his hand as he slapped his hands on both of their shoulders, "At ease Isa, Even! You two really need to take a vacation sometime."

Isa and Even rolled their eyes as I walked over to them and meekly raised my hand to wave. "Nice to meet you two," I said trying to crack a smile wondering what position they had as they both nodded in acknowledgment.

"Oh, right. I should probably introduce you to these two. Isa here," Ansem gestured to the blunette behind him, "Is our Deputy Director. He helps me makes sure that our museum is at tip-top shape and that everything is a well-oiled machine."

Ansem gestured over to Even as he smiled, "Even here is actually our lead scientist that is in charge of our grant funding, as well as research facility within the museum for finding new artifacts."

I made a mental note of both of these men in my brain as I realized that Ansem really surrounded himself with people that respected him. Ansem continued as he glanced back at Isa, "I know that you are a busy man, but can you take our new member back inside for final paperwork forms?"

Isa raised an eyebrow before he smirked, "I knew that you didn't trust her new teammates to get this done. Alright Ansem, you win this time." I saw Isa glancing over to me before he turned around heading in the steps, "Hurry up, you're burning hours away by not working."

"Y-yes sir!" I said quickly walking forward to pass Ansem and Even as I followed Isa up the stairs.

"Have a good day!" I heard Ansem shouting behind me as his voice started floating away.

* * *

"Well miss, it looks like all of your paperwork is in order. I just need your bank information so we can do direct deposit for your paychecks," Isa said sitting behind his desk as I nodded sitting across from his in his small office as I scribbled down my information.

I handed the piece of paper back to Isa as he started to type the information in the database. 

There were a few noticeable moon rocks scattered across his shelves like that was the only collection he acquired a taste for. Aside from the out of character knick-knacks that looked like gifts from other individuals, his office was simple and plain.

"Well, congratulations are in order. Seems that you did well in your interview for Ansem to be that excited to have a new person on staff," Isa remarked as he turned from his computer to face me.

"Thank you sir, I was surprised when I heard I even got the job..." I said twiddling my fingers along the hem of my skirt as he exhaled through his nose.

"Isa is just fine. You will realize that we are a very lax environment, even though we are the crowned jewel in the entire area due to the history this place holds," Isa started to say as he got up from his chair and walk around the desk.

I quickly shuffled to my feet as Isa held a hand out to me smirking slightly, "Welcome to Radiant Gardens Historical Museum." I nodded as I grabbed his hand with my heart pounding in my chest, "Pleasure to be here Isa."

As quickly as I felt myself starting to calm down, we both heard a loud noise outside of Isa's office. Isa just groaned outside as he opened the door to see a familiar redhead carrying a large stereo speaker while another dragged on the floor behind him by the power cord.

"Lea, what in the hell are you doing? You have reports to get done, and don't think I didn't notice you were late this morning," Isa growled as I could feel the energy suddenly change drastically.

Lea grumbled as he placed his face against the speaker he was carrying as he whined, "I needed to move this out from my desk before I can finish those rep-"

Lea stopped speaking as he saw me standing in Isa's office. He bit his bottom lip before he gestured with his overloaded hands, "Who's the girl?" "She's the new historian in Xemnas' department. I was just going to take her right now," Isa said crossing his arms impatient as Lea cracked a grin.

"Sorry about running you over earlier. I'm Lea, I make sure we have bangin' parties around the museum," He said as I laughed nervously seeing that he did remember me.

"Nice to meet you again, need any help?"

I asked as Isa passed Lea glancing over at me, "He can handle it on his own. Come along, can't keep your team waiting."

I looked over at a struggling Lea with sympathy as he winked at me, "Isa's right girlie, I'm a big boy. Let's have a real introduction later." I smiled giving the redhead a short wave before following Isa through the hallways.

We were quiet for a few minutes before Isa spoke up first.

"Sorry about that. Lea is one of the few individuals we have here that doesn't take his job seriously," Isa said with a hint of remorse as I shook my head.

"Don't worry about it, isn't it fun to have a working environment with tons of active characters?"

"You say that now, but you haven't met the others yet," He said with a smug look on his face as I nodded.

"What did he mean about parties at the museum though?"

"He's the facility rental coordinator. Even though we make money from all different aspects of income, he brings in business from clients who want to use the museum for special events during the slow times of the year," Isa explained as we walk towards an office near the end of the hallway.

He knocked on the door before opening it up, "Xemnas, are you in here?" The next thing I saw, a dart flew across Saix's head as it stuck into the wall behind it.

"Oh shit, that would have been bad." I heard a female voice inside as there was tons of cackling inside from another pair of voices.

"What did I tell you fools about having the dartboard on the back of the door?!" Isa snarled as he stomped into the office and seemed to be standing in front of someone's desk.

I slowly peeked inside as I made sure no more darts were going to be coming straight for me as I looked around the room. It was a spacious office that had six desks scattered around the room in what looked like a cubicle-style with no walls but invisible lines were drawn.

"Chill out Isa, I didn't scar your face so we're fine," I heard a male voice speak as I glanced to see Isa standing in front of a man leaning back in his chair on the hind legs.

I blinked in surprise to see an older man, maybe in his early thirties with a ponytail for his long black and grey streaked hair. What was curious is the eyepatch covering his right eye.

I could see that the other two people in the room were minding their own business at their desk, or more like trying to stay out of Isa's wrath as they were fiddling with their paperwork.

I could see a young guy with black spiky hair that was wearing a leather jacket over his collared shirt and a young woman with dark mahogany hair with a pink pastel blazer and blouse sitting at their desks.

"Xigbar, you know you can't keep doing shit like this around the office. Don't make me send you to the safety officer again for your recklessness," Isa stately firmly as the man called Xigbar rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'll be a good boy for now," Xigbar said with a tone of sarcasm as I noticed the boy and girl almost snorting under their breath. Isa whipped his head to the two of them annoyed before glancing back at me in the doorway.

"Right. Alright you idiots, I actually came out to this corner of hell because of the new hire in your department," Isa said gesturing for me to come inside as I stepped in meekly.

The redhead girl seemed to jump up from her seat as she immediately pulled me into a hug, "Finally another girl! No more sausage fest for me!" She pulled back once she realized I was tensing up before she laughed nervously, "Sorry about that. I'm Kairi."

"Nice to meet you," I said trying to crack a smile on my face, but with the interaction, Isa had with these three made me more nervous about these folks being nothing but hooligans.

"The cutie over there is Vanitas, and the big grumpy gills is Xigbar. We're all historians and we help do the tours around the museum for big groups," Kairi said as she gestured to the men who were getting lectured by Isa.

I glanced over to see Vanitas looking in my direction before he turned away with a scowl on his face.

"...And another thing, where is Xemnas? I told him to be here on time today," Isa scowled as Xigbar held his hands up in defense from Isa's wrath.

"The big cheese is doing a tour right now for some important donors, he said he'd be back as soon as possible," Xigbar said as Isa seemed to calm down from that answer.

"Kairi, can you please show her the ropes on how to log into the database and try to explain her duties here?" Isa asked the redhead as he handed her his clipboard that seemed to have a file of paperwork for new hires.

Kairi's blue eyes sparkled as she saluted to him. "Count on me Isa!" She squealed beaming with pride as Isa started walking past me. He placed his hand on my shoulder before giving me a look of sympathy, "Try to make it to the end of the day before you quit. Good luck miss."

* * *

I sat on a chair feeling the wheels squeak as Vanitas, Kairi, and Xigbar were sitting across from me as they made a semi-circle with their chairs. Kairi seemed to be looking over all the paperwork that Isa made on my hiring file already.

I could feel Vanitas' golden eyes piercing through my skin and something about him and Xigbar made me feel a little uneasy.

"Huh, I guess I never realized how understaffed the other teams are," Kairi seemed to mutter loud enough for Vanitas to snap at her, "Can we get this over with?"

"Right, sorry! Okay! So..." Kairi placed the file down on her lap as the three of them looked at me smiling.

"Congratulations to making it to our little team of historians! According to your background, it looks like you will also serve as on-call backup staff when someone else calls in sick or it is busy around the museum," Kairi started to explain as I perked up surprised.

"I have other duties? That wasn't mentioned in the job description," I said, not trying to sound rude but Vanitas leaned back in his chair rolling his eyes, "If it makes you feel better, it's 'exposure' to other departments just in case they want to steal you from us. We don't get paid enough already but they want us to pick up the slack."

Kairi seemed to be glaring a hole into Vanitas as he turned back to me, "Vani isn't wrong. But we help out the others just because we have more flexibility when we aren't doing tours for the school groups. It's just simple tasks that any museum person should know to do just in case."

I raised my eyebrow as Xigbar spoke up, "Can we leave the rest of this to Xemnas? Let's just go show her what our job is and where to not get lost."

"I'd like that a lot! I could never come here growing up since ticket prices were through the roof," I said as Vanitas snorted, "You don't even know what our collection is? Oh boy, what a green thumb."

"That's an awesome idea Xiggy! Let's go do a field trip and say hi to the others too," Kairi said placing her palms on her cheeks as she seemed to be fantasizing a fun workday with you, as her new BFF.

Everyone seemed to be getting up from their chairs as you started getting to your feet as well.

"Oh no you don't," Xigbar said shoving me lightly back onto the chair as he grinned maliciously, "We don't want to tire you out on the first day, we'll take care of you."

"What does that-" I started to say as Vanitas and Kairi spun my chair around and pushed me out the door and into the hallway with the wheels on my chair squeaking away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my new fanfiction! This one was an idea that came to be after having really bizarre dreams with some Organization XIII members trying to run a gift shop.
> 
> This, in turn, ended up being the base for an AU self-insert based on the political/fundamental aspects of a non-profit museum as well as workplace relationships.
> 
> I would love to hear feedback as this is very different from my other series Black & White, as this is very different from anything else I've written before where it's supposed to be somewhat wholesome.


	2. The Museum Staff

"So where are we going first?" I asked meekly as I held onto the armrests tightly as Kairi hummed behind her pushing her chair down the hallway.

"Well, if anything, it probably helps if we go see the front desk folks first. They are the first line of customer service defense we have here," Kairi suggested as Vanitas rolled his eyes at her statement.

Vanitas leaned over and whispered into my ear from behind, "She probably wants to just see her 'boyfriend' and save him from his tyrant of a manager. Don't know what she sees in him."

"Jealous?" I asked quietly but I felt Vanitas suddenly swat Kairi from the chair before I started lunging down the hallway with him jumping on the back of it.

"Not jealous, but I can always use another punching bag," He cackled for a second as I tried to lean back in the chair to keep from being thrown off.

"Hey, wait up you two!" Xigbar shouted as him and Kairi were now chasing the runaway office chair.

Isa was about to walk to Lea's desk to ask for those reports he failed to bring to his office before he felt something fly past him. He just turned his head slowly as he see the new hire and Vanitas bolting down the hallway with an office chair.

"...Fuck my job," Isa said as he suddenly rushed back to his office to grab his radio just in case he needed back up.

* * *

"How was that?"

"You're... Kind of evil if I have to be honest Vanitas."

Vanitas howled with laughter as I was trembling as I walked slowly through the main hallway pushing the office chair in front of me. Kairi and Xigbar were lagging behind a few feet as they seemed to keep their distance from the trouble maker.

"I thought it was fun at least," He said sticking his tongue out as I glanced between the three before I stopped for a second.

"Is... This a normal thing that all new hires go through?" I asked, wondering if the other departments were just as fucking insane.

"I don't know to be honest. We started this tradition when we first hired Kairi. She was kind of a big prissy princess when she first joined us. We were trying to loosen her up," Xigbar explained as Kairi laughed nervously.

"Now I'm just one of the guys in the office. Although our big boss treated me like a secretary for the first month."

I raised my eyebrow as I started walking again towards the main entrance, "Do you think he's going to treat me like that?"

"Nah, he got in trouble after what happened with the last few ladies around the other departments. He had to go through sexual harassment training and a lot of safety protocols."

"He's just old fashioned!" Xigbar said trying to defend the head of their department, who I haven't met yet.

And to be frank, I don't know if I want to at this point.

"Ah, we're here!" Kairi squealed as she ran past me as she bolted for the giant round desk in the middle of the room. It was vast open space with a few painting hung into the wall, and the few people observing the art.

From what I could see from the distance, I could see Kairi running over to pull a brunette into her arms as he seemed flustered trying to get away from her.

There were another four people there, and they seemed to be having a difficult time with a customer whose voice was echoing off the walls.

"Marly is down here? Must be a really bad situation with a guest. Shall we check it out?" Xigbar asked as he stood next to me as Vanitas flanked my other side.

"Think if I gave it a shot?" I asked as they both raised an eyebrow at me.

"I mean, if I had to be on-call back up for other departments, shouldn't I get some hands-on experience?" I said, trying to rephrase my motive as they nodded.

"By all means hotshot," Vanitas said as he took the chair from me as I walked over, my heels clicking on the surface of the marble underneath my feet.

I started to tie my hair up into a ponytail as I could feel myself getting amped up, like a tiger ready to pounce on its prey.

"How could you say I don't have any donor perks when I have given you so much money over the last few months?!" The woman howled at the poor customer service team behind the counter. I could feel my eyes flicker to the staff behind the counter taking in their appearances.

There were two standing individuals, a man with pink hair in a hair tie and a woman with yellow hair slicked back. They were both dressed casually in button-ups and black blazers with skinny jeans.

They seemed to be whispering to themselves as they had the two boys, sitting in the chairs at the main counter, taking the brute of this woman's fury.

One of the boys had what looked like spiky brown hair and the other was a blonde kid with a ridiculous cowlick with how combed it was.

They seemed to be furiously tapping their keyboards while the smiles on their faces were cracking. I could see the woman had placed everything from her purse onto the counter as she screamed at the boys.

I let out a small cough as I leaned onto the counter at the end giving everyone there a warm smile, "Anything that I can help you with miss?"

Everyone's attention turns towards me as the guest services staff looked at me with sudden confusion. The woman whipped her head in fury before she looked over at me.

"You don't seem to work here, so I don't think that I can help you." The woman spat as she seemed to glance at my appearance as I clicked my fingernails along the surface of the oak desk.

"Now now, is that a way to treat a human who is trying to offer their assistance to someone who is struggling," I commented as I glanced along the counter to see that she has lots of receipts, her wallet with all of her credit cards splayed out, and a fussy toddler attached to her leg.

_Gotcha_, I thought to myself as I smiled at her, "How about I take over and see if I can find the answer out for you. You seem to have your hands full keeping the little one from melting down."

Everyone there seemed to look at me stunned as she started putting her stuff into her bag.

"Ah... Thank you miss, I... It's been a long day. I appreciate it," She said as her face started turning red as she must now realize how she looked to other patrons in the museum trying to enjoy themselves.

"Don't worry," I said as I took her place as she scurried to a small wooden bench to sit down, with her baby in tow.

As I turned my attention to the staff behind the counter, my face darkened for a second as I exhaled deeply.

"She sounded brutal. What even is her problem that four people can't seem to get right?" I asked as my face lightened up for a second as the blonde woman and pink man looked at me in disbelief.

"Who in the.... Who are you?" The blonde lady asked raising an eyebrow at me skeptically as I raised my hands smiling, "Just a helping hand from beyond."

I heard clapping from behind me as I saw Xigbar and Vanitas strolling over, "Wow newbie, I am impressed. Full marks for diffusing that situation in a very orthodox way. I think I'm in love."

"That was soooo cool!!" Kairi popped up from the side and hugged me like a proud soccer mom. I laughed nervously as the guest services team looked at me, "Wait... Are you the new hire we've been told is our on-call temp?"

"Please to meet you," I said as the two boys looked up at energetically, "I'm Sora! And this is Ventus! And... Wait, Kairi, where did you take Demyx?"

"Went to use the bathroom, apparently that lady made him wanna wet himself," Kairi said bashfully as everyone there just shook there head not surprised.

"Marluxia, pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm the Marketing and Guest Services Director," The pink-haired man said with a smirk as the blonde scowled crossing her arms over her chest.

"Larxene, Front Desk Manager. Listen, newbie, you can't just make empty promises to guests and expect us to take the brunt of her wrath twofold!"

"Well, what is the problem?" I asked as I noticed the tension was thick and I don't know if it was because I pissed off Larxene, who I couldn't understand how she could be front desk staff with such toxicity.

"W-well, the guest said that she expected to have admission for free because she's given us money. But nowhere in the system is there a note about letting her in and out as she pleases," Sora explained as he brought up the database again as he recalled her problem.

"Is there anyone we can call for donations, or see if it was pending or didn't go through all the way?" I asked as Ventus quickly picked up the phone and started dialing.

"I knew we should have called Luxord! Stupid Demyx saying we didn't need him..."

Ventus mumbled under his breath as Larxene and Marluxia glanced from the boys back up to me. I just shrugged as I turned around to go back to the guest, "It's common sense to figure out all the options you can before you call a supervisor into the situation."

"Hold on," Xigbar held me back as I turned to look back at him confused.

"As much as I wanna say this is the win for our department, it's better if we let our asskissers do it instead," Vanitas said as Marluxia hurried behind the counter flustered as he went to talk to the guest with the fussy toddler to explain the situation.

"Now as much as we would like to stay, we gotta show newbie more of the place. You'll see her around," Xigbar said with a grin as he turned his back Larxene, Sora and Ventus. "Bye guys, tell Demyx I miss him," Kairi said as Vanitas dragged me away from the desk.

I glanced back for a second and I could have sworn that I saw Larxene giving me the middle finger before she went back to work.

* * *

"Welcome to the coolest perk ever!" Kairi said as I looked around the giant space we were in. The shelves were all decorated in replica antiques, books, figures, and more little accessories.

"The gift shop is a pretty bomb place. Lots of employee discounts on food, just in case forget to pack for the day. You can either pay in full or do a tab that gets taken out of your paycheck," Vanitas explained as he walked back over with a small loaf of banana bread in his hands.

"Vanitas is taking the hit for you today, how sweet," Xigbar snickered as Vanitas glared at the older man, "No way. She can go get her own!"

"Don't worry Vanitas, I'll go grab my own," I said as he gestured to the counter on the other side of the room.

"Tell Aeleus that it's coming out of your paycheck. He's the buff guy, can't miss him," Vanitas said as I nodded walking towards the counter as the rest of my co-workers bounced around the store, enjoying their time out of the office.

As I glanced around, I could see that the gift shop was full of a variety of items, and it was cool since I started thinking of what to buy with my first paycheck. When I stopped in front of the counter, I didn't see anybody there but I did see the case of pastries and other food delicacies in the fridge behind it.

"H-hello?" I asked a little lounder than expected before I heard someone's voice, "Need any help?"

I turned around and almost gasped at the large man standing behind me. He was carrying two large boxes on his shoulders as he glanced down at me with a tired expression.

From how he was dressed and walking around, I assumed this was the guy Vanitas mentioned.

"Are you Aeleus? Ah... Vanitas mentioned I could get some food and I just started today," I said trying to not sound frantic as he nodded.

He walked over to the counter behind me, placing the massive boxes onto the counter as he rummaged through the small fridge. He came back from behind the counter and handed me a small croissant.

"On the house. Hope you enjoy working here," Aeleus said before turning back to the boxes he was carrying before.

_Guess he isn't much of a talker, good to know_. I thought to myself as I smiled waving him as I left, "Thank you Aeleus!"

* * *

"Do I really have to be riding this chair all around the place?" I groaned in embarrassment as I felt Vanitas and Xigbar pushing the office chair behind me again.

"Not really. if anything, I think the boys just like parading a woman around this place since we don't have many women on staff," Kairi explained as I glanced back as both men seemed to not retort her statement.

"Aside from Larxene, who I think won't get along with me, how man other gals have I not met?" I asked as Kairi started counting on her fingers.

"There is a high-ranked art curator in their division who keeps to herself who's nice. There's also our meek safety officer, who is also the reason why we do stuff like this."

"Because you got close to be good friends?"

"No, she's bad at confrontation," Vanitas howled as he felt himself suddenly pulled back a second later.

Xigbar and I glanced back to notice we were down by two people before realizing Isa was standing there fuming, holding Kairi and Vanitas by the back of their jackets.

"Shit, sorry newbie but hold on!" Xigbar said as I gripped the chair tightly as he went into a full-on sprint pushing the chair.

"Xigbar, you bastard! Get back here, don't go that way!" Isa shouted at his colleague he dropped the two trouble makers to run after us.

I glanced back nervously as I could feel the wind whipping on my face as Xigbar pushed me, "Shouldn't we stop because our boss told us to?"

"I mean, sure but he's still a young spring chicken," Xigbar laughed before he suddenly lost his footing and slipped. As he lost his grip on the chair, I realized that I was rolling down the hallway fast.

"Guess I'll just die," I sobbed as I could feel the chair going out of control as it picked up speed on the just mopped floor. As I was making it to the end of the hallway to see a fork, I cursed to myself as I saw a young woman and man pushing a sculpture on a dolly.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY," I shouted, seeing them turn their attention towards me in surprise from the sudden noise. The young blonde woman panicked as the silver-haired man stood in front of the sculpture as he shouted something incoherent facing down the hallway I couldn't see.

The next thing I knew, I saw a flash of blonde rushing towards me and I was catapulted from the runaway office chair. I started flailing and closed my eyes for impact on the ground.

I felt myself suddenly hit something soft and it made an audible groan. I opened my eyes slowly as I found myself looking up at a pair of blue eyes. I blinked, realizing that I was caught by someone before I could see their lips moving.

"Are you alright miss?" They asked as they seemed to be breathing heavily as their brown hair draped all over their face in a messy matter. I suddenly pulled away before realizing that he was another museum employee.

"A-ah, yes. Thank you! I'm so so sorry!" I said, immediately bowing before I turned around to see what had happened for me to go flying. To my disbelief, I saw a blonde boy crumpled on the floor next to the office chair as he seemed to be grasping the legs for his dear life.

"I... Stopped it... What was awesome Riku?" The blonde boy gasped out in panic as I turned back to the people in front of me.

The silver-haired man, Riku, sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Thank you Roxas. Sorry, but this internship doesn't cover health insurance. Namine, mind helping him back to the studio for now? I can get the sculpture there if there isn't other disturbances."

The blonde girl, Namine, nodded furiously as she scrambled past me and the brunette to help Roxas off of the floor and make sure he was still conscious.

"Well, as much as I wanna ask security to throw you out, I'm glad to see that you're alright," The brunette turned to me with a smile as Riku scowled, "Terra! Now's not the time to... Wait."

He shoved Terra out of the way as he took a closer look at me. He squinted at the chair behind me before his gaze rested back on me. He rubbed his temples for a second before cursing under his breath.

"I thought that the new hire started next week? That means I'm behind on restoration deadlines..." He muttered to himself as he turned around to return to his dolly.

"Sorry I can't stay for a proper introduction. Terra, let's get this going now!" Riku barked orders as Terra nodded, glancing over at me like he needed permission to make sure I was okay.

I gave him a very loose thumbs up as the two men started rushing the sculpture to its new home. I glanced back to see Namine and Roxas talking to an older fellow before he walked past them.

Something about this newcomer made me feel eerie as I felt the hair standing on my neck. His silver hair was tied back into a loose bun as the glasses frames hung low on his nose as he walked towards me.

The glint in his amber eyes flickered of annoyance as he raised an eyebrow at me as he stood in front of me.

"Now, who, must I ask, is causing such a disturbance in my hallways?" He asked as the tone in his voice made me want to hide.

"Ah, uh... Well..." I started to speak as we were soon interrupted by the sound of footsteps from behind him.

"Oh, Xemnas! There you are! Guess you found the new hire before me," Xigbar said trying to sound relieved before the man named Xemnas glanced back at his co-worker.

"I seriously can't leave you idiots alone for two seconds to get a potential donor to give us more money," Xemnas said coldly as he noticed Isa coming to a slow jog as he caught up to them.

"Xig....Xigbar, you are in deep trouble. To Xion's office. **NOW**." Isa growled as he glanced to see me standing there confused and trembling in Xemnas' shadow.

"Xemnas. Please... Can you finish her training, since I think these idiots skipped out on everything to do this..." Isa gestured to the office chair on the ground as the older man turned back to face me.

"You have a lot to catch up on. Let us do a quick safety tour so you know where emergency exits are," Xemnas said as I noticed his gaze softened a little.

"Y-yes sir!" I said as I followed him down the hallway while Isa dragged Xigbar and the office chair in the opposite direction.

* * *

I could hear Xemnas' voice speaking as we walked along the exhibit hallways as he showed me a brief introduction on the current collections that are on the floor as well as showing me the emergency exits.

Even though I was taking in some of his words, I felt a knot growing in my stomach again. Part of me felt guilty that Xigbar, Vanitas, and Kairi were in trouble for what they pulled her into. If she didn't start working there...

"Something on your mind?"

Xemnas' voice rang through the air as I realized we were standing in a fairly empty hallway between exhibit spaces. I shook my head before I noticed the frown on his face.

"If you're worried about those three, pay no mind as our safety officer has always given a slap on the wrist to them. It might be because she seems them more often than any of the other department associates and considers their presence welcome."

I started to open my mouth as Xemnas explained the grief hanging over my head. I just smiled and bowed slightly, "Ah, thank you sir. I'm sorry that I caused a ruckus on my first day here."

He waved his hand in the air before a small smile perked onto his lips.

"No need, the staff always get a bit excited with new hires when we have long hours of work. Sometimes they need a new perspective to help bring the team even closer," Xemnas said as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

We started to slowly make our way back to the administration offices before I saw Lea standing out in the hallway talking to a short young woman with dark black hair and wearing a simple summer skirt and a blouse.

"Thanks Lea, I promise that I can come out tonight with you and the others," The girl said with a smile as Lea nodded taking his leave back to his office.

As she glanced down the hall towards our direction, she jumped in surprise as she started to fix her outfit and comb her hair with her fingers. "Ah, Xion. I take it you already gave a lecture to my three nitwits?" Xemnas asked as we stopped in front of the young girl.

"Ah, well of course, Xemnas! They would have been in more trouble if they actually were involved with destroying Riku's newly discovered sculpture," She explained with a smile as she glanced over at me.

"I'm Xion, the Safety Manager of the museum and research center. Got to make sure everything is up to code and no one blows each other up," She said holding her hand out to me with a sincere smile on her face. I shook her hand as I nodded, "Ah, yes. Thank you for making sure we work in one piece?"

"Of course!" Xion said for a moment before she glanced at my outfit. She quickly looked up to Xemnas as she pouted slightly, "You haven't told her about the dress code yet have you?" He glanced away as he sighed, "We were... a bit preoccupied that I can't remember all of the new employee guidelines."

I tensed up for a second as I started playing with my sleeves, "Did I do something wrong? Is this inappropriate??"

Xion laughed for a moment before shaking her head, "You are way beyond formal for our taste. We ask that our employees to at least have nice blouses or button-ups with a pair of bottoms. Leggings must be paired with a skirt since we don't need to see your ass jiggle, and short shorts are a no-go unless you're not dealing with the public. Otherwise, you can be as comfortable as you like!"

I felt the tension roll off my shoulders before I noticed everyone's appearances so far.

"Do we have any official work attire that is required? Like jackets or anything of the sort?"

"We do have blazers with our logo on them, but those are required to be taken up with Isa since he'd have to order custom to your size and fit. Those can be worn whenever but they are usually for off-site business or networking events." Xemnas cut into the conversation as Xion nodded confirming his answer as correct information.

"Any other questions I can answer now?" Xion asked as I pondered on the thought. "No not really, thank you for answering my questions Xion," I said with a smile as she nodded.

"Oh, right! Before you go-" Xion opened her office door and pulled a small flyer off the wall to hand it to me, "We need to get you certified for CPR and first aid training, just in case an accident arrives on facility grounds. We ask everyone to do it, but some people have been skipping out. I'll have a class held during our next holiday weekend, so please come when you can."

I folded the paper in my hands as I smiled. "Thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to talk with her," Xemnas said with a smile on his face as Xion blushed, looking away nervously, "A-anything for my co-workers!"

"Let's get back to the office and make sure the others haven't destroyed anything else," Xemnas said motioning for me to follow him down the hallway. I glanced back at Xion as she gave a final wave before getting back to her work.

As we made back to the office, Xemnas stopped by a few other cubicles to pick up paperwork for himself while we chatted casually about how our museum database worked.

He mentioned that because it was so late in the day, he could ask Kairi to give a quick rundown on how to get my new computer set up before we're done for the day.

Xemnas knocked on the door three times before opening the door, being greeted by a lull environment as Kairi was busy writing drafts while Vanitas and Xigbar were working on their paperwork arguing about how to describe the upcoming exhibit.

_Such a very different tone when Xemnas is around_, I thought to myself in surprise as Xemnas got Kairi's attention away from her work.

As I glanced around the office, part of me was relieved that even though this is one of the best historical museums in the area, the staff were mostly friendly and have a very relaxed vibe.

"Kairi will help you set up your computer and you guys can go over the database from there," Xemnas explained as he gestured to the desk across from Kairi and wedged next to Vanitas' by the door.

"Thank you for everything, I promise to not let you down!" I blurted out, not realizing that I spoke a little louder than expected as my four co-workers looked at me trying to not laugh.

Xemnas stayed composed as he placed a hand on my shoulder nodding, "Welcome to our little community."


	3. Access Please

I just stood outside of the museum main entrance tapping my foot on the ground. I crossed my arms looking up at the massive archway before drifting my eyes down to the closed gates.

_I was lucky that the museum was already open and Isa guided me around, but..._

I thought to myself before I turned around placing my hands on my head shouting, "HOW DO I GET IN WITHOUT A KEY?!"

As the breeze started to pick up, I wrapped my arms around my shoulders, hoping my light sweater would keep me warm.

I just turned back to the gated entrance with a distressed sigh as I waited for another second before all the panic started to set in again.

_What if this was a test?_

_What if there were surveillance cameras up to see how I would handle such a situation?_

_What is Xemnas and Isa were laughing behind my back at my idiocy to such a simple problem?_

I felt the massive knot in my stomach started getting bigger and bigger until I heard a voice from behind me.

"Excuse me, but we're not going to be open for another hour," I heard a nervous male voice say behind me.

I glanced behind me as I saw a tall twenty-something man dressed in a button-up shirt with blue suspenders, dark slacks, and pointed shoes. If it wasn't for his messy mullet, I would say he looked almost professional.

He had a loose tie wrapped around his wrist as he held a coffee cup in the other hand. The one thing that caught my eye was the ID badge hanging from the lanyard around his neck.

"I NEED THAT I THINK!" I shouted abruptly as I pointed straight at him. He jumped back a few feet as he looked confused by my outburst before I put my hand down a little embarrassed.

"Are you an art thief? Because you're really bad at your job," The man said as he tried to square up like he was going to be able to defend himself.

"N-no! I started working here yesterday. I'm the new Historian from the upstairs offices," I tried to explain before I saw the look on his face full with uncertainty.

"Well... You seem like a nice lady, so I can try and help you out. I'm Demyx, I'm one of the Guest Service Associates at the front desk." He said as he juggled the things from his hands before I shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you Demyx. Would you also help me find the staff only entrance?" I asked trying to say everything out loud so my own tension would go away.

Demyx laughed nervously as he glanced to the gated entrance in front of us, "Actually, we usually just wait until it's opened from the inside."

"What do you mean by th-"

"Oh, there is my man! Dilan, open up already!" Demyx shouted as he waved inside to a figure behind the glass doors. I couldn't make out the figure's face but the gate was soon making a rumbling noise and the gate started lifting up and rolling away.

"Come on in, the water's fine!" Demyx said glancing over at me before he took a step forward to the exposed entrance. He fumbled with his ID badge, pressing the sensor to a black box before the door clicked open. He held the door open while I walked in past him.

"Ah, nice to know that the door's don't open until a certain time. Do people usually try to get in early to work and go home early?" I asked as Demyx laughed.

"If that was the case, this bozo would come in early and bail by lunchtime," I heard a gruff voice from behind me.

I glanced back to see an older man with black dreadlocks wearing baggy jeans, a blue hoodie over his collared shirt and was carrying a set of keys with a nightstick attached to his belt. Something about intense purple eyes made me wonder if those were contacts.

"Dilan! Why do you gotta rat me out like that," Demyx pouted as Dilan smirked walking past both of us, "Because everyone needs to know that you are a slacker. Can't see what Kairi sees in a bum like you."

I was about to speak up but Dilan already took off to do the rest of his duties for the day before the museum opened up.

"Who's that?" I asked gesturing to the direction that Dilan took off in.

"That's Dilan, he's the museum's main security and operations guy. Need something fixed or cleaned out immediately, he's our guy to call. Kind of keeps to himself as we wanna present a... particular image when we're open," Demyx said as we both wandered towards the front desk in the middle.

A thought came to my brain as I just glazed over Demyx's appearance. "Does that mean that mullets are okay, but dreadlocks are not?"

Demyx's face immediately went red as he waved his hands defensively sending his tie flying, "Look a man's appearance is his own! It's just that we still have to look cleaned up is all! A-and I don't mean that dreadlocks are gross or a-anything...!"

I just snorted as I saw the glass doors by the entrance open, "Relax Demyx, I'm kind of kidding."

"Kind of...?"

I just shook my head as Kairi squealed bouncing over as she placed a kiss on Demyx's cheek, "Good morning! I thought you were going to wait for me!"

"Sorry Kairi, I was having a panic attack outside and he needed to ease my first week of work worries," I said as Vanitas snickered as Ventus followed after him towards the front desk.

"Ahh, it's okay! Shoot, I guess we forgot to get your own card key and let you know about opening and closing procedures," Kairi tapped her finger to her chin as Demyx handed her the coffee cup he carried it, "It's your favorite, Seasalt Berry Latte."

"You're the best Demyx! Vanitas, do you think you can take her up to Isa's office? Maybe he got her ID prepared last night?" Kairi asked as she seemed to be now sitting on the counter of the desk as Ventus tried to move around her to get to his computer.

Vanitas just crossed his arms over his chest feeling a little annoyed that Kairi was ordering him around until I spoke, slinging my bag over my shoulder, "It's okay Kairi. I can go ask Isa during my lunch break."

Something seemed to trigger Vanitas as he turned around and started heading towards the offices, "Why not get it done now? Then you don't have to do work-related errands during your work-free break. If we go now, then it's one less thing to worry about."

I just smiled realizing that Vanitas didn't want me wasting minutes of a well-deserved break, so I followed him up to the offices as quickly as possible.

* * *

"Here you go, I hope that you always remember your ID badge. We charge for reprinting and recoding costs since it's a pain having to deactivate lost card keys," Isa said as he handed me a small plastic card attached to a deep purple lanyard.

A goofy grin crossed my face as I glanced down to see my full name printed on the card with the title "Historical Documentation Interpreter" printed underneath. The ID badge was white, gold, and purple while the logo for the museum was surrounded with flowers and gears.

"Oh, and here's also a new radio with the instruction manual in the box. Vanitas can give you a brief explanation on what channels we usually use. If you need to have a private conversation, calling a person's extension is better," Isa stated as he handed over a small plain box that looked like it had been opened before.

"Sounds easy enough to remember," I stated as I turned to see Vanitas leaning against the doorway to Isa's office. He seemed to be glancing through his phone before Isa snapped his fingers for the young man's attention.

"I expect good behavior today after yesterday's stunt," Isa said in an annoyed tone as Vanitas placed his phone into his blazer's breast pocket.

"We play nice when we want to Isa. Come on, let's get you ready for your first real day around the place," Vanitas said as I followed him out the door. Isa just took a deep breath as he sat back down at his desk to enter the incident report following Xigbar, Vanitas, and Kairi's latest antics.

"I wonder what color your radio is," Vanitas said out loud as we slowly made our way down the hallway to our office.

"Are they usually different colors?"

"They can be by slim chance, but they usually are part of a matching set for each department. Mostly with our staff forgetting them in the bathroom or in the weirdest places, everyone started tagging theirs with charms so everyone knows who it belongs it."

I shrugged as I reached the office door first, noticing that Vanitas was standing back from the door. Probably not going to open the door with my hands full, I just sighed as I started opening the door.

The next thing I knew, I felt a dart fly past my head and Vanitas catching it swiftly between his fingers.

"First rule of our office: knock two times so we don't hit you with darts. Always listen for three knocks as the Xemnas makes sure to give us a warning and we better look like we're working before he enters," Vanitas said sticking his tongue out at me as I looked at Xigbar who looked a little guilty from his desk.

"Sorry girlie. We run tight security here in our office. Gotta protect our precious documentation and field trip inquiries," Xigbar said as he straightened out his tie while I started dropping everything onto my desk.

"I already don't know if I should trust any of you," I said as Vanitas leaned against Kairi's empty desk with a smirk, "Probably shouldn't right away. But you'll get used to our witty charms."

I just raised an eyebrow at both of them as I pulled my lanyard to hang around my neck.

Xigbar whistled before giving me a thumbs up, "Looks like you already got the official 'go-ahead' to get lost! I didn't get mine until a month after I started working. I wonder if the old hag before Isa hated me..."

"I do remember that a lanky young man was just looking to get fired immediately from this position at the front desk if I recall correctly."

We heard Xemnas' voice come from the hallway as the silver fox of a boss was standing there with a cup of coffee in hand and a few folders tucked under his arm.

"Ah, memory lane is always the best, isn't it?" Xigbar said as Xemnas shook his head as he handed a file to both Xigbar and Vanitas.

"Memory lane also says you two still need to proofread these drafts for the next collection coming out in a few months. Riku and his department can't get anything printed if we're behind again," Xemnas said as the two men just groaned looking over the files.

As Kairi started to strut into the office with the biggest smile on her face as she was filled with coffee and breakfast, Xemnas handed me a small spiral-bound booklet.

"Even though I wish I can have Kairi train you some more on our database, she's going to be in and out of the office today. Do you think you can practice getting familiar with our database by yourself?" He asked as I saw his amber eyes looking down at me with a hint of sincerity behind them.

I grabbed the booklet and started leafing through it, noticing that it looked similar to some samples found in some textbooks back in school.

"I think I can manage, thanks Xemnas," I said with a small smile forcing itself onto my face, not wanting to be rude to my new boss if I looked like I was frowning.

He nodded as he made his way over to his desk as he seemed entranced by his own work. "You can ask any of us for help if you do have any questions," Xigbar said as Vanitas sat down at his desk booting up his computer tower.

"Ah, thanks I appreciate it you guys," I said turning back to the booklet in my hands as my eyes drifted down to the small box on my desk.

_I should probably learn to set this up first_, I thought to myself as I started to unpack the small radio and seeing that the radio was separated from the battery and the charging dock.

"Aww, not another scout field trip! Those are the worst," I heard Kairi groan from across the aisle as the other men just chuckled under their breath. Nice to know that even the sweetest people can hate at times.

* * *

"Got your radio working?" Kairi asked as she sipped on the cola she brought from Aeleus in the gift shop.

I nodded as I hung the small walkie talkie on the waistband of my jeans as I walked next to Kairi out in the main Museum lobby.

"I think I got it on the right frequency. Channel one is for all general museum chatter, Channel two and three are for one on one conversations, and Channel four is for..."

"It's for our staff when we are acting as tour guides around the museum. Sometimes it can be distracting trying to finish a thought when someone is asking for help with a work project. Usually, the other staff are supposed to remember to check that channel first in case they need to announce an emergency."

"When was the last time we had an emergency?" I asked as Kairi stopped for a second to plop herself down on a bench. "I think... We had some kids causing Dilan some trouble. Something about some high schoolers trying to prove that ghosts remained in the museum."

I just snorted as I sat down next to her, "Ghosts don't exist, do they?" Kairi just looked away for a second before I looked at her feeling the sweat dripping down my back in nervousness. "Hey, Kairi this isn't funny."

Kairi looked back at me before giggling, "Sorry! We do have some faulty electronic locks around the facility that can give you some trouble the first few times, but I'm pretty sure we don't have ghosts."

I just sighed before I glanced over at her radio on her waistband, realizing that it was turned off for the moment. Then again, while we were taking a small break from our workload, I guess we don't have to be alert 24/7 as museum staff.

"Is there anything else I'm missing about my job? I feel like I understand the basics of our work in the office and what Larxene's team does at the front desk," I said as I played with the lanyard tied to my ID badge. Kairi finished gulping down the rest of her soda as she hummed.

"Well, there is the research department and our curation team. They usually stay in their own knitted community and don't try to reach out to the others unless its an emergency," Kairi said as I saw her finger pointed to a hallway adjacent to the museum entrance.

"Both of them have offices down there. You need the elevator to get to their offices, so never forget your ID badge. It's the only way to get up there. Aside from the emergency exits and ladders from the roof, best to use your radio just in case you need someone to come down."

I nodded as Kairi started standing up from the bench, slowly stretching her back out as she grinned, "Back to the grind?"

"Lead the way so I don't get lost," I said nervously as we started making our way to the administration offices.

As we made our way back through the offices, I saw Axel, Xion, and Lea having a meeting in Xion's office. There seemed to be a lot of shouting but they seemed to be arguing about an event that happened days prior to my hiring. I waved briefly into the room as I saw Xion's face look distressed as she tried to be a mediator between the two adults.

"Ah, ladies. Welcome back to the man cave," Xigbar said as we entered the room with Kairi going back to her desk ignoring Xigbar's comments.

"How were the lunch options at the gift shop?" Vanitas asked glancing up from his pile of paperwork on his desk with the reading glasses sliding off his nose. I had to admit that glasses looked pretty cute on Vanitas, it made him look less menacing.

"Options are pretty simple today. I'd say ordering delivery would be more filling if you got a massive appetite," Kairi said bluntly as she started to log herself back into the system.

"Bummer. If I had money, I would totally do it," Vanitas grumbled as Xemnas slammed another stack of files onto his desk.

"If you manage to finish this in the next hour, I'll buy it for all of us," Xemnas said as he glanced at the four of us across the room.

"Oh shit, the big boss is paying? I'll help you with those V!" Xigbar said as the younger male tossed a few files across the aisle.

Xemnas shook his head as he glanced over at me before handing me a few files, "Do you mind running these upstairs to the Restoration Department? Thanks to Xigbar and Vanitas, we got their paperwork finished in the nick of time."

"That's because he's such a slave driver," Vanitas whispered even though Xemnas whacked the boy on the top of the head with the file before reaching it back out to me.

I took the file from him and smiled, "Sure thing, it'll take just a second."

* * *

"Wait, hold the door for me!" I shouted as I raced towards the elevator as I saw Even walking into the elevator already filled with a few other people. Even rolled his eyes for a second as he held his arm against the door as he called out, "We don't have all day miss."

"S-sorry, I need to get these to the Restoration Department," I said as I walked into the elevator with the file in hand. I realized that once Even stepped back into the elevator, there were two other individuals already in there.

The smaller one seemed to be standing at least a head over me as he stood there with whisps of silver-blue hair tangled all in front of his face as he was looking through some files he cradled in his arms. He was wearing a plain white dress shirt with a bright purple handkerchief popping out of his breast pocket. His attention was suddenly brought up as Even asked him a question directly.

The other individual seemed to be standing there with a coffee cup in hand, dressed in a three-piece suit as his blonde crew cut looked clean and tidy like the goatee that rested on his face.

I was more surprised by the number of piercings the man had that I immediately looked away when he noticed me staring at him.

"Something on my face love?"

"A-ah no! Not at all," I said quickly trying to bring my eyes down to stare at my feet before the man responded with another little cheeky comment.

"Oh, oh! Maybe you thought I was a piece of art because of how flawless I look."

An audible groan was heard from the other side of the elevator as Even and the young man looked at over at the blonde.

"Jesus Christ, just because we work in a history museum doesn't mean you can whip out horrible jokes like that. Fuck sakes Luxord, that was awful."

"Ienzo! Watch your language please, at least in front of the young miss here."

"I mean... It was pretty terrible. Can't you just stick to being the pretty one instead of the funny one," Even said rolling his eyes back that you would think they'd fall out of his head.

"Would you think my joke was funny dear?" I felt a hand slap onto my shoulder as I glanced up to see the blonde man, Luxord, looking down at me with a devious twinkle in his eye.

"Uh....." I just felt my words lose me as I glanced over at Even and the young man, Ienzo, for some type of sign.

My prayers were answers as I hear a small _ding_ as the elevator doors opened up.

"S-sorry, maybe tell me a better one next time!" I called out as I dashed off the elevator in a hurry.

I didn't even look back to see how the three men responded before I accidentally bumped into someone.

"Sorry, didn't mean to-" I started to say as I glanced down to see the spiky blonde kid on the floor picking up all the papers he just dropped. I quickly got onto my hands and knees to help him pick up the reports as he looked at me frantically before easing up.

"I feel like I keep causing trouble for you," I said as we stood back up. He laughed nervously before scratching the back of his head, "At least you didn't destroy that statue, the crew had been restoring that piece for months. It would send Riku into a breakdown if anything happened to it."

I felt a small pang of guilt in my chest before he saw the look on my face and laughed, "Don't worry about it! They know to get insurance on all the pieces now after one of the other department folks almost destroyed a box of antique glassware."

I nodded before I remembered why I was there in the first place. "T-this is for you guys! It got edited and proofread by the folks in our department," I said as he took the file and leafed through it for a second before nodding with a goofy grin on his face.

"Thank you! Ah... I never introduced myself did I? I'm Roxas, I'm one of the curating apprentices. But ah, we should get these files to Riku."

He started to make his way down the hallway before he turned around and handed the file back to me.

"W-would you mind holding onto them? I don't wanna mess up another file delivery," Roxas said sheepishly as I could see his face getting red. I took the file and followed him to the end of the hallway before he opened the door with his ID badge.

As he held the door open, I walked in to see a vastly massive room that was painted in all different colors with various pieces in bubble wrap, wooden crates with packing peanuts littered everywhere, and tons of filing cabinets.

Walking through the studio space with Roxas guiding me, we came to an open area with a few tables pushed together with three people talking among themselves over a diorama.

"Hey guys, the new lady brought us a gift!" Roxas called out, turning Riku's attention from the display to the two of us as we walked over.

"Is it a handwritten apology for yesterday's almost disaster?" Riku said in a sarcastic tone as I laughed nervously.

_Guess he's a bit of a hardass_, I thought to myself as I pulled the file for him to see, "We finished looking over the drafts for the next collection. Thought it'd be better to bring it over now before it gets lost."

Riku perked up at the sound of that as he took the file from me and thumbed through the documents. I glanced over to see Namine and Terra were writing down some points as they seemed to be going over what looked like the current museum layout.

"Thanks for the delivery. I'll take this as an apology from your Historians from almost obliterating all of my sanity," Riku said as he tucked the file under his arm before holding his hand out to me.

I raised an eyebrow before grabbing his hand as he spoke up, "I'm Riku. Head of this rag-tag team of curators. That's Nami' and Terra, they're my master restorators."

"What are they doing?"

"Well, we have to plan where to removed some pieces as we have a new piece being shipped in this week from the excavation site by the Castle. It ended up being a bigger move than anticipated, so we are crunching on no rest for the meanwhile," Riku explained as Roxas grabbed more notebooks for Naminé and Terra.

"Hm... Hey Riku, I think we hit a snafu," Terra said as he bit the end of his pencil as Riku and I took a few steps forward to peek over the working team's shoulders.

"What's the problem?"

"Estimating that we have all the correct equipment, we are going to be needing to pull a few overnight shifts to move the giant lift tower artifacts."

Riku's smile dropped from his face as he sighed.

"Don't worry Terra, I can handle another night in this museum, what I can't handle is Larxene and Xigbar popping holes in the air mattresses we use down in the lobby!!" Riku shouted at the ceiling as he took a few steps away, as Terra and Namine looked at their boss with sympathy.

"Well, looks like you guys have more work to do. I'll catch you all later," I said quickly as I turned back around, giving Roxas a quick wave as I walked back towards the elevator.

* * *

"So, what do you guys wanna do now that we're out for the night?" Vanitas asked, loosening his tie as we walked down the steps as the sun started to set behind us.

"I planned to go get dinner with my folks and Demyx," Kairi said as Xigbar stuck his tongue out in disapproval.

"I wonder if Aqua is still working at the cafe. Might go swing by and go grab groceries with her."

I muttered to myself before I felt pulled into Xigbar's chest as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, "What about we all go out and go get some drinks? I could use some after the day Xemnas gave us."

"I'm down for sure. Who wants to pay for my dri-"

Vanitas was cut off as we heard someone shouting for me behind us. I shrugged Xigbar away as I looked to see Terra running down the steps holding something in his hands.

"W-wait.... You... It got stuck..." Terra was gasping for a second as he held out my ID Badge.

I looked down in surprise to see that the lanyard I was wearing was missing an important piece.

"How.. Where did you find this?" I asked in surprise as Terra smiled, "I saw it got wedged in Roxas' reports when he handed them in for the night. He mentioned that you ran into him earlier, so maybe it just got stuck and well..."

I snatched the ID from his hands and gave Terra a big hug, "Thank you so much! I would have been in so much trouble with Isa!!"

"A....Ah, yeah sure no problem," Terra said quietly as I know that the others were making face at him behind me as I felt his body stiffen up before I pulled away.

"Well, have a good night guys," He said as he turned to go back up the staircase heading inside with Dilan holding the door open for him.

"The look on his face was priceless, you'd think he's a virgin hugger," Vanitas sneered as Xigbar chuckled. Kairi rolled her eyes as I clipped the badge back onto the end of the lanyard, "Be nice you guys! He deserved a hug better than you guys have."

"She's not wrong. But ugh he's got a damn bod," Xigbar whistled low for a second before I rolled my eyes. "Anyways, back to drinking..."


	4. Hands-On Training

"Did you remember everything? Staff badge, your lunch, wallet, phone, and keys?" Aqua called out from the kitchen as I stumbled around the hallway trying to pull one of my shoes on.

"Yes, yes, yes and... Wait, shit. Keys?" I called out as I stomped my foot on the ground trying to squeeze my shoe on. Aqua peeked out from the doorway holding a key ring attached to a plush cow charm attached to it.

"You're a lifesaver."

"Probably more like your mom at this point. How have you survived so long before you moved here?"

"On cinnamon bread and sunlight. Aqua, you still wanna do dinner tonight?"

The blueberry muffin of a roommate nodded as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Just call before you leave so I can make sure the food is hot in time for you to come home."

I just snorted and shook my head, "I'm grabbing food to bring home. Just make sure you roll those pastries down at the cafe and do your best."

"Don't fuck up!" I heard Aqua's voice ring behind me as I walked out of the apartment.

I took a deep breathe while I felt the leaves crunch under my feet. I started fumbling with my jacket and trying to pull my hair into a bun before I saw the train moving past me.

"Aw shit, wait up!" I shouted trying to call for the small trolley as it seemed to be picking up speed down the hill.

After a few minutes, and being able to catch the next trolley by jumping into the street so they would risk liability in injuring a citizen, I leaned against the back of the cabin walls as I glanced out of the window.

I could feel my body already exhausted and my eyes drooping before I felt someone slap a hand on my shoulders that it jerked my attention.

"Good morning kiddo! Rise an' shine, we got a long day ahead of us!" Xigbar hollered out as he leaned against the trolley cabin walls with his gloved hand on my shoulder.

I noticed immediantly that he was dressed a little more formal than usual as he had a black trenchcoat on, a pin-striped dressed shirt with grey suspenders, and black slacks on.

"Going on a cheap date at work today?" I asked with a smug smile on his face as he snorted.

"Darling you wish I was taking you out to dinner dressed like this. No, actually I have to do a walkthrough with some donors on Xemnas' request today. Gotta dress well for those high rollin' donors of ours. Although don't see why our damn Donation Manager can't do it instead..."

"We have one of those? Whose that?"

Xigbar placed a hand on his chin as he removed his hand from my shoulder as the trolley seemed to be slowing down to their stop, "His name is Luxord. Sort of tall blond dude with a terrible goatee."

I started making my way down the steps as he followed suit, "Is he known for terrible jokes and puns?"

"My condolences. Can't believe you met the biggest idiot in the facility," Xigbar held his hand to his mouth in surprise as I laughed.

"Can someone stupid really be a Donations Manager who deals with tons of rich people to get them to donate to the museum?"

"Takes an idiot to connect with another. That's why I get all of his 'smart' donors who want to know where that money is really going," Xigbar said in a mocking tone as I shook my head, seeing that there was a lot of history between the two men.

As we walked down the road, Xigbar suddenly grabbed my forearm making me stop abruptly.

"Hey, since we're early by a few minutes, wanna grab a drink to go?" He asked as I looked to see the spark in his eye as my gaze turned towards the small coffee shop right next to us.

I had a small smile on my face as I shrugged looking up at the cafe named _The Secret Daisy._

"For sure. As long as I can get the drinks," I said with a wink before Xigbar dragged me into the shop.

Wisps of ground cloves and cinnamon hit my nose as I could feel the warming feeling brush against my bones through my clothes. I could feel my body shudder as Xigbar smiled, "We should get a few drinks for the others since we'll be late."

"You don't like getting to work on time, do you?"

"Let's just say that as long as I bring drinks or food for the team, I have to work hard anyways and stay late," Xigbar said as he followed me to the register. There was another lady in line ordering while I pulled my gloves off of my hands.

"Mind if I give recommendations on what to get?" I asked as Xigbar raised an eyebrow towards me. "I don't see why not," Xigbar said as I stepped up to the counter as I waved to the young man behind the cash register.

"A-ah! Hello again! Let me guess, put it on the 'roommate tab' with Ms Aqua?" The young man pipped up as his cheeks turned rosy from the sight of me and Xigbar.

"Just for two drinks. The rest of the drink I'm ordering will be with cash," I said politely as I fished for my wallet in my jacket as he punched in a few buttons into the register.

"Of course! What are the drinks for today?"

"Two cups of Sunflower Burst on the tab, let's do two cups of Black Thorn, and a cup of Mellow Lilac that I'll pay for."

The young man behind the counter smiled as he finished getting the order down and taking the munny I dropped into his hand. As he tried to fish for change, I waved and smiled, "Toss it in the tip jar. I haven't been here in forever."

He beamed with pride as I walked away with Xigbar following me to the other side of the counter.

"Don't tell me you have connections with the up and coming cafe in Radiant Gardens..."

"Maybe I do, or maybe the owner is my roommate," I said sticking a tongue out at Xigbar as he smirked in surprise.

"I would love to get drinks like this every morning! You are going to make everyone in the office so jealous."

"Maybe, but what can I say. I helped the owner in tweaking the recipes. She always wanted to create a menu that warmed or cooled people off. It was all about having the hospitality that felt like home and was good for the body," I explained as I soon saw five cups of coffee and tea placed on the counter in a multi-paper cups holder.

Xigbar looked at me with surprise as I handed him his drink, "Sunflower Burst is a mix of black coffee, honey, and ginger. I figured you need to have your old body healthy and strong if you're going to get the wind knocked out of you by those donors."

A cocky smirk fell onto his face as he swiped the cup from me as I carried the rest of the drinks out the door, "Little lady you are quite a passive-aggressive asshole."

* * *

"So I got some Black Thorns and a Mellow Lilac. Anyone have a favorite?" I asked placing the cups of hot drinks onto my desk as Vanitas, Kairi and Xemnas stopped what they were doing to come to the desk.

Xigbar already sneaked away to go meet with the donors before he got pulled in by the scents of the hot drinks drifting from my desk.

"Oh, is it those drinks from _The Secret Daisy_ that everyone has been raving about on Kingstagram?" Kairi asked in surprise as Vanitas raised an eyebrow at both of Xemnas and Kairi, noticing the bright expressions on their face from the free drinks.

Vanitas swiped the cup holding the Mellow Lilac as he grumbled, "How amazing could a bunch of overpriced coffee and tea be?" He took a small sip of the aromatic tea as I adjusted my bags behind my desk.

I glanced back up to see Vanitas pulling the cup back and looked at me with bugged eyed as I smiled, "Mellow Lilac is a white tea concoction with honey, cardamom, and all-spice steeped into it."

"If you don't want it, I'll trade with you Vani-"

Vanitas hissed at Kairi as he backpedaled to his desk as he put the cup to his lips.

_Guess someone is really into the spiced drinks_, I thought to myself with a sincere smile on my face as I glanced back at Xemnas and Kairi who grabbed the cups of Dark Thorn.

"They are ginger-infused black coffee mixed with a little bit of cream. If you add more sugar or cream, it adds a bit more sweetness."

They both shrugged as they took the cups and gradually went back to their desk sipping their hot beverages.

Their disappointment was soon replaced as a warm and cozy look, washing over their faces and bodies as they dived into their drinks.

"Thank you for treating us, I hope this isn't a bother to ask for more drinks like this during the fall and wintertime," Xemnas said with a deep sigh escaping his lips as I turned on my radio and started to log into my computer, "I can try every few days. Need to pay my bills, not always on expensive drinks."

"Indeed," Vanitas said with a calm expression fluttering over his face as we heard a knock at the door. Isa opened the office door slowly before glancing cautiously.

"Don't worry, Xigbar isn't here and everyone is in a good mood," Xemnas said as Isa opened the door in relief that he wasn't going to be a human target.

"Mind if I borrow one of your members today? We're short at the front desk this morning since Ventus is down with the bug," Isa said as Xemnas nodded.

"Vanitas did let me know that there is a bug going around his family, so probably best to have a non-infected person work instead of having the bug just from him to the other staff downstairs," Xemnas said calmly as he placed his coffee cup down on the desk.

"Mind if I take the newbie to the front? She could use hands on practice downstairs," Isa asked glancing at the paperwork at the clipboard in hand as Xemnas glanced over at me.

"Do you mind? Sorry to take you out of our training to put you in a different training course so soon," He asked as I nodded getting up from my desk.

"Good, let's get you prepared then. I'll send you back up here once the morning rush is gone," Isa explained as I followed him out of the office with my radio and badge.

As I quickly picked up the pace behind Isa, I saw Lea walking past him before he wolf-whistled. Isa immediately stopped before turning around to send a glare at Lea with a tint of red brushing his face.

"I'm sorry about not getting the paperwork done, I'll make it up to you with cooking tonight," Lea said with a smile as I could see Isa's face turn from embarrassment to fury.

"You know what happens when you cook! Just get the work done on time Lea" Isa hissed, turning around to not give the redhead any more fuel as I followed behind the bluenette out of the administration offices.

I kept my distance from Isa as I noticed the tension from his little encounter with Lea really wound him up.

"Sorry about that. Lea is that... He's... He means well, just picks really bad times to be professional and personal," Isa finally said as I could tell the tone in his voice was back to normal.

"I see. Are you guys dating?" I asked bluntly as I saw Isa stop in his tracks before glancing back at me. The silence but the fading blush on his face said all before he turned back around as we kept walking through the museum.

"We're engaged, but he still pushes all of my buttons."

I nodded, wanting to ask so many more questions.

Did they know each other outside of work before then, how their first date went, what made them decide to was time to get hitched to one person forever...

I mentally slapped myself as I realized it was not my place to ask about other people's affairs, mostly when I've known most of my coworkers for less than a month now.

I was snapped out of my thoughts as I realized we were in the lobby. The front doors of the museum were still locked as Sora and Demyx were shuffling for keys and paperwork, trying to prepare for the morning rush.

"Hey you two. I got you two help for the morning rush. Hopefully, everything is wiped down from Ventus' diseased hands." Isa said as he gestured to me as I waved to both of them. Sora and Demyx looked at me with big puppy-dog eyes as they sobbed like it was miracle.

"Thank you Isa! Larxene isn't answering her cell this morning, and Marluxia seemed to have taken a vacation to see some relatives," Demyx said sheepishly as Isa rubbed his temples in irritation.

"Of course... Can one of you make sure she can get logged in and teaching her the basics on selling tickets," Isa ordered the two brunettes before turning his attention to me.

"If you have any questions or the lines get out of control, radio me or Xion to come down and help the three of you. If Larxene gets here before then, have her come and see me."

"Will do," I said quickly as Isa walked away from the front desk and back the direction we came in. I glanced over to see Sora gesture to where I can enter the desk. I smiled as I lifted the small countertop up and stepped into the ring-shaped opening for the desk.

"Welcome to the front lines," Demyx said with a grin as I nodded, "Thanks guys. How did Ventus get sick?"

"Pretty sure he got sick from the last few days of non-stop gaming with no sleep and eating like shit. Other bets are that Vanitas is trying to kill him off," Sora said as I raised an eyebrow as I sat down on one of the chairs.

"What do you mean? Do they hate each other that much?"

"You don't know? Ven and Vani are twins. It's very weird to see their personalities are so... different from the other," Demyx said as I nodded, realizing what Xemnas meant back at the office.

Sora typed in a number code as he glanced over to me smiling, "Have you ever worked a register before?"

I shook my head as the two boys looked at me nervously, "Well... Guess learning on the job is all about mistakes. Alright then, here's what we do..."

Demyx and Sora took a few minutes to give me a crash course on how to use the ticketing system. Explained that we do discounts for groups with reservations and how even family members or friends could get a discount if they had proof of knowing the staff.

"...As for how we do opening procedures, we usually ask Dilan to help us with the first crowds as he usually can help soothe most parents' nerves," Demyx said as I looked between the both of them.

"Is it because you're both bad at handling crowds or just afraid of getting trampled?" I asked as Sora laughed nervously, "A mix of the two for sure. Think you'll get the hang of it?"

I nodded with a grin as Demyx grabbed his teal plated radio off of his belt.

"_-Guest Services to Dilan.-_"

"_-Go ahead Demyx. Ready to go?-_"

"_We're ready for opening. Also got a helper for the morning rush. Make sure to get them three by threes._-"

"_-Will do, over and out-_"

Demyx slid the radio back onto his belt as I glanced over to hear the clicking of the front doors starting to shudder from movement outside. I could also make out the silhouette of Dilan's muscular body giving instructions to the crowds outside before letting them come in for the day.

"You got this," Sora said with a reassuring smile as I nodded as the first group of customers came up to the counter.

* * *

"... That is all. Thank you and have a good visit," I said with a sincere smile plastered onto my face as the man took his two children off into the museum gift shop first for some light refreshments.

A hand slapped onto the back of my chair as Demyx stretched out with a grin on his face, "You did great! Surprised how well you kept your cool there!"

I glanced between the two guys flanking me as they sat at their stations. "Thanks guys, I really appreciate it," I said as Sora glanced over at the clock on the corner of the monitor.

"Surprised it stayed busy for so long. And no sign of Larxene either," He said scratching his head as I glanced between the two of them, "Is she always late?"

"Like once a week, I think she tells everyone in the area when she will be in late so they can rush us first thing with crazy questions," Demyx groaned placing his head on the keyboard in front of them as I sighed glancing to the entrance in front of me.

"Well, speak of the devil..." I mumbled under my breath as I saw Larxene walking through the museum entrance with her clutch in hand and sunglasses resting on the top of her head. The smirk on her face fell as her eyes laid on me.

"What are you doing here with my boys?" She snarled, a little toxic as I rolled my eyes looking up at her. I glanced around to notice that there were still guests around, so I forced a smile onto my face as I folded my hands in my lap.

"Isa asked me to cover since Ventus is out this morning. He also asked for you to go up and see him as soon as possible," I said with an innocent grin on my face as Sora and Demyx seemed to be standing their ground but not backing me up.

Larxene's eyebrows furrowed as she reached over the desk and dialed an extension on the phone before putting the receiver to her ear.

"Isa, I'm in. What do you.... Yes.... Yes, I mentioned it to..... Of course I...."

The look on Larxene's face shifted as she rolled her eyes hearing Isa speak to her on the other line.

"Alright, I'll be up." She said trying to keep calm before she handed me the receiver and stomps past the desk.

I put the phone back on the hook as Demyx and Sora sighed deeply.

"Another day of possible torture again if she's that mad," Sora said as Demyx nodded.

"Can't believe you let her treat you like that," I said putting my head on my fist as Demyx shook her head, "She'll only do it when there are no guests around. Probably later in the afternoon but it keeps us on our toes!"

Sora shrugs as he clicks through a few files on his computer, "I think we got it handled for the rest of the day. Sorry for stealing you from upstairs."

I shook my head as I glanced between them, "Not at all. If Ventus is out again, or any of you are, I'd be happy to help down here. Beats doing paperwork all day."

The guys looked between me before smiling.

I slowly slipped away from the front desk before another small list of guests came to ask the boys for tickets and museum information.

I slowly made my way to the administration office before I stopped seeing two men dragging a dolly with rust mechanical equipment down the hallway.

I smiled as I walked over, seeing that it was Riku and Roxas as they were trying to pull the equipment through the corridor.

"Put your back into it or it's not going to budge," Riku groaned as Roxas panted feeling his feet slipping underneath his as he shouted from the other side of the dolly, "Says you! Are you even pulling it Riku?"

"It's hard to without-"

"Do you need some help?" I asked as I stood on the outer edge of the dolly as I soon saw Riku and Roxas stopped their movements to look at me.

Riku leaned against the edge of the platform with his foot as he crossed his arms, "I don't think you're ready to help up out when you're dressed like that. But... If you can help guide us through the hallway, that would help us a lot. Even directing around or asking people to stop would be nice. We got another gallery to move this to, about 500 feet away."

I nodded as Riku quickly moved around to the side Roxas was standing on and the two of them got positioned to start pushing. I trotted out in front and smiled as I could see the opening of the gallery they needed to head to.

"_-Use your radio to give signals. Easier than shouting during open hours.-_"

I heard Riku's voice crackling from the small yellow radio attached to my belt. I smiled as I took it in hand as I held the button to speak.

"_-Coast is clear guys, let's go while we can.-_"

And with that, the dolly started to move forward as I continued to spot them from the front as their eyes.

I made sure to stay ahead and look around to make sure no one else would be in their blind spots or run up unexpectedly.

As we got to the end of the hallway after half an hour, I heard a static noise coming from my radio.

"_-Xigbar to Newbie, what's your location?-_"

Puzzled, I glanced around before fumbling with my radio.

"_-I'm down by Gallery B spotting for the Restoration team. Why do you ask?-_"

"Because I wanted to see if you wanted me to grab you anything for lunch," I heard Xigbar whisper in my ear, making me scream and turn around slapping him across his chest.

Thankfully he stood up in time or his face would have been beet red from the hit. The older man just cackled as he held his radio, tapping the antenna against his temple.

"Please refrain from shouting in the museum miss," He said with a grin as I looked up at him furiously. "You... You're something else aren't you," I hissed as he pocketed his radio in his trench coat.

"I'm sorry for scaring you. Still, want me to grab you something for lunch from the shop?" Xigbar asked as I looked up at him with hooded eyelids in skepticism.

"Anything works for me thanks," I said as I saw Riku and Roxas finished pushing the dolly into the gallery space.

"Thanks for the help. Sorry that we borrowed you for longer than expected," Riku said wiping the sweat off his brow as I smiled waving my hands loosely.

"No worries. Say Xigbar, do you wanna-"

I turned around to ask my coworker a question but he already disappeared down the hall without a trace.

"Huh... Nevermind then," I said quietly as Roxas had a weak smile on his face when I turned back around.

"I'll catch up with you guys later then," I said giving the two sweaty Restoration members a quick salute before trying to find the administration office again.

* * *

Clicking my ID to the panel on the wall, I opened the metal door to the offices. I sighed as I could tell that the office was somewhat quiet.

Or it was until I heard a door slam and Larxene was stomping down the hallway towards me.

The flicker of anger and frustration on her face made me quickly inch and press my back to the wall to escape her wrath.

She passed by me without a second place and I just took it as a saving grace as she slammed the door behind her.

_Poor Sora and Demyx... They're really in for a rough afternoon_, I thought to myself before I slowly moved from the wall and heading back to the historian's department.

As I knocked on the door, I let myself in, realizing that Xemnas was the only was there, going through the files on his desk.

"Ah, hi sir. I'm back from working at the front... And then I got stopped by Riku to help spot for him," I said clicking the door behind me as he looked up at me in surprise.

"Ah, yes. Sorry, I did hear your call on the radio when you were chatting with Xigbar and giving orders. I figured would you go to lunch since you've been working the last few hours," He said as he pushed the reading glasses up the bridge of his nose, a habit he seemed to have when explaining his thought process out.

"I haven't had time to work on any of my reports this morning though, could I at least get something small done and then go to lunch?" I asked seeing my now cold Sunflower Burst coffee sitting on my desk.

Xemnas leaned back in his chair for a moment before clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, "You may. Actually, I have this translation I need to make sure is correct on this tablet we received scans from Evan and Ienzo. Would you mind...?"

I nodded as I walked slowly towards his desk as he spread papers out for me to read. I could see flickers of disordered paintings from the scanned work and seeing the incantation that Xemnas was working on as he scribbled all over the margins on what the translation could be.

I bowed my head down as I placed the palms of my hands onto the desk as I glanced over the scans. There were words in the original text that felt off or missing, but what kept me from processing my thoughts correctly was catching Xemnas' amber eyes boring into me as I looked up for a quick second about to answer.

"What do you think?" I felt Xemnas' words hit a chord in my head as I suddenly stood up and removed my hands from his desk, quickly pulling them behind my back.

"I... From what they sent us with the scans, it looks like it was more like there are pieces or words that were chipped away or faded from time. Unless we get a deeper or detailed scan on the tablet, there's going to be gaps in the message and it'll be more of our own historical interpretation if we do include this in our collection."

I found my face being flushed as I realized that my posture before was very lax in front of my department director. I never acted like that before when we worked together in the office.

I could feel Xemnas' gaze leave me as he turned back to the paperwork and nodded.

A small smile landed on his lips as he closed his eyes, "I'll see if I can get that detailed scan from Even. Thank you for your thoughts on the matter. Now, get yourself a break before Isa says I'm a tyrant for not letting you leave."

A small chuckle rose to my lips as I turned around to drop my radio onto my desk. "I'll be back in a while then," I said with a small smile on my lips as I exited the office.


	5. How to Save a Life

"Good morning everyone! I am so glad that you can all join me for today's lecture!" Xion clapped her hands together as she stood in front of the entire museum staff.

Most of us were groaning as Even shushed the crowd by barking at them, "Now if everyone can just pass their CPR and First Aid Certification this time, we wouldn't be doing these every six months!"

I just tied my hair up as I leaned over to Lea to whisper while Even kept degrading the staff. "Do we really need to do this? In a normal emergency, it's just better to call an ambulance, right?"

Lea nodded as he started tying his spiky hair back the best he could. He smirked as he gave me a thumbs-up, "This is more of a safety precaution. If it wasn't for Isa and his paranoia of the staff not having the proper training to save a patron, he'd be bald by now."

"I wouldn't be bald, I would just have chewed through all of the pencils on my desk in nervousness," Isa scowled as I turned to the bluenette sitting in front of me as he glared daggers into the red head man.

Lea just held his hands up in defense as Even finished speaking.

"In the end, this works so much better if we have you act calm and rational while taking today's course. Just don't overthink and use your common sense," Even said as he patted his coat down as Demyx raised his hand from the front row.

Xion smiled as Demyx stood up awkwardly to speak, "Are we practicing on our partners like last time or is that still banned?"

I gestured my hands towards Demyx's direction and looked at Lea in disbelief before he laughed nervously. "Let's just say that someone ended up tying the nerds up and trapped in the supply closet for an hour," Lea said gesturing over to Aeleus and Zexion on the other side of the room as they paid attention to Even and Xion.

"Oh come on Even! It was one time, if we don't know how to save your dumbass by wrapping a physical body part up, how will we know better?" Xigbar chimed in from the other side of the room as Even looked like he was going to blow as gasket.

Xion cut Even off as she grabbed rolls of bandages and first aid kits off the table holding it in front of her, "Oh don't worry about that! We decided that if you use more supplies than needed, then your department would be eating out of those costs. And I know you guys don't wanna piss off your managers in wasting expenses in trivial things, right?"

I could feel a tense aura fill the room as you could tell that Xemnas, Marluxia, and Riku were looking over their employees as we all sat scattered across the room.

I raised an eyebrow as I leaned forward to speak up, "How come you're not stressed out about this Isa?"

"Because Lea, Xion, and Dilan are usually the top of the class every time we do these lectures. Plus they have more free-range outside of their positions to be reached in an emergency," Isa said with a beaming smile on his face as Dilan coughed nervously, "And yet you always fail at CPR."

I laughed nervously as Xion cheered, "Everyone ready to save a life?"

The museum staff just looked up her before Vanitas shouted from the back, "Stop stalling and just fail us already!"

* * *

I just kneeled in front of the CPR dummy lying on the ground. I just glanced around nervously as I saw that there were five other dummies in front of Dilan, Naminé, Larxene, Ventus, and Terra as we were spaced apart.

Everyone else was standing by; being prepped by Even with instructions on how to do CPR. Xion stood in front of our group as she smiled holding a notebook in front of her with plenty of notes.

"I know some of you might be really nervous and not have the best strength, but this is why we're practicing now," Xion smiled as she kneeled on the ground in front of a massive stuffed bear she had laying on its back.

"First, make sure that you tilt the head back after making sure that the person is unresponsive. This is to make sure the airflow when we do CPR on them will be just fine," Xion explained as she tilted the chin of the bear back a few degrees, pretending its mouth was open.

"After that, make sure to do 30 chest compressions two inches deep into their cavity a few inches down from their heart. Blow two breathes into the mouth, and keep doing chest compressions until my alarm goes off," She stated, giving a quick kiss to the bear's nose before pushing on the designated location on the chest.

I laughed nervously as I glanced at everyone around me that looked annoyed they were doing this or determined to pass the course. I glanced over to see Naminé glancing over to my side and smiled in a calming way.

"Don't worry if you don't pass, we'll be doing this often anyways," Naminé said, trying to ease my nervousness as I sighed deeply.

I glanced down at the plastic CPR dummy in front of me before I murmured to myself, "I'm more grossed out by the germs than anything... When was this last cleaned?"

Xion gave the signal for everyone to start and everyone started to work on their dummies.

Minutes have passed, and you can tell our forearms are starting to get tired from pumping into the plastic dummies.

"Xion, when... when can we stop?" Ventus panted out loud looking up at the black-haired safety officer standing at the front of our station.

She flashed a grin as she tapped her fingers against the notebook, "Normally, it takes on average 10 to 25 minutes for the ambulance to come to the scene of the incident after 911 has been placed. You never know if you'll be alone with the fallen patron and can't call for help right away."

"So... In other words..." Naminé started to get teary-eyed in realization as Xion clapped her hands together, "We're going to be so bruised by the end of this course!"

"And to think I was the masochist to some of the employees," Larxene groaned as she gave two breathes to her dummy before cracking her wrists to keep working on its chest.

"Quit your whining everyone, at least you don't have to deal with her every other day," Dilan barked back at the complaining staff members before Xion stepped in front of him and cracked an annoyed look on her face.

"If you would just wear the gloves when cleaning with all those toxic chemicals, we wouldn't need those meetings!"

"I think we're going to be here for a while," I mumbled trying to keep up with everyone else as Xion shouted for us to work for another few minutes.

* * *

"Okay everyone, do you all have your injured buddy?" Xion cheered over the entire staff as everyone just sighed in disappointment. To be honest, a lot of us just wanted to escape through the back door and go get a drink.

In reality, we were stuck here until we finished our certification class and our arms were sore beyond hell. I glanced over at my injured buddy, Xigbar, as he already had the biggest grin on his face as we listened to Xion and Even's final set of directions.

"...Just make sure the bandage isn't too tight and always make sure to call 911 only if the injured person requests it. Otherwise, you can call one of their 'emergency contacts' to come and take care of them," Even explained as I turned to face Xigbar, trying to be serious even in a fake situation.

"Alright, what seems to be the problem, Mr...?"

"It's Mr. Graves sweetheart," Xigbar replied calmly as he had a shit-eating grin on his face. I just raised an eyebrow as I started to prepare the medical gauze and bandage wraps.

"Uh-huh, alright Mr. Graves, where or what got injured, and how did it happen?" I asked, trying to stay professional even though I know Xigbar is not taking this seriously.

"I was out trying to hit on some of the moms down by the gift shop and she slammed me into one of the counters. Unfortunately, a pair of scissors came out of nowhere and sliced my hand open," Xigbar gestured with his left hand as I tried to contain my laughter.

"Sounds to me to be a personal problem. But I'll see if I can treat your ego," I commented as he laughed while I turned his palm upward and applied pressure with gauze, pretending there was a gashing wound.

"I think I'm going to need you to call my lawyer because that was a sick third-degree burn you gave me."

I just shake my head and smile as I grabbed the bandage wrap and started to carefully wrapping between his forefingers and thumb, "Do you ever take the training seriously?"

Xigbar gestured to me with his free hand like he was offended before rolling his eye, "When you work at this museum as long as I have, you gotta make jokes or you're going to be bored easily. Plus it's funny to see the couples in distress."

As I finished my tie on his fake injury, we glanced across the group as I could see a variety of people trying to focus on getting their first aid perfect and others... Well... not so great.

Demyx is panicking as Kairi is babbling all about their next date and what they should do for dinner plans.

Sora is having Riku fix his own first aid bandage because they added so much gauze to the injured area on his leg.

Isa and Lea already finished their wrap as well but they were already talking about other work manners related to an event they need to be prepared for.

Aeleus is carefully tending to Larxene's wrap as she stands there impatiently as she notices that Vanitas and Ventus are beating them at their little 'bandage wrap race'.

"I think it's fun to match up with rookies like you because you're easy-going and know that this is our fate to keep repeating these certification classes every few months," Xigbar said as he slung his bandaged hand around my shoulders.

I shrugged as I held my hand up to my head like I was taking a call. Xigbar played along and gestured with his other hand, "Hello?"

"Hi, yes. Officer, I got a creepy guy that keeps touching me in public and I don't know who he is. Can somebody send out an escort?" I said in a dull tone as Xigbar scoffed, "I'm not that creepy, I'm just a handsome devil is all!"

"Oh, okay. Officer, there's a crazy person who thinks he's the devil..." I said with a grin as he shook his head pulling away from me, "Just give him your phone number and he'll go away to whatever creepy hellhole he came from."

* * *

"Hey everyone! How did training go?" Aqua asked with a smile on her face as I shuffled in with the rest of the tired museum staff into _The Secret Daisy_.

"I think it went well, Xion said this is the first time in years that most of us got passable grades, so now we can have the next training in a year instead of six months," I said with a smile as everyone seemed relieved and congratulating their lower graded colleagues for doing their best.

"Sounds... Absolutely terrifying. Remind me who failed so I know to just push myself to the hospital instead," Aqua said with a sarcastic tone as I pulled my wallet out. I felt a hand on my shoulder as I looked up to see our Executive Director Ansem smiling as he handed his card to Aqua.

"I'll pay for everyone's drinks today and any pastries you have left," He said with a smile as I could see the dollar signs in Aqua's eyes. "It'll be all out right away!"

"Thanks Mr. Rian," I said with a smile as he waited for his receipt. I trecked back to my department, already sitting at a table as everyone else seemed to be chatting among themselves.

I slid into a seat between Kairi and Vanitas as they started reminiscing on other certification lectures they've taken before and had badly they fucked up. I just listened to their stories and laughed as I glanced across the table to see Xigbar and Xemnas chatting about possible donor meetings later in the week.

As the drinks of hot tea and coffee reached our table, I took a deep breath about to take the first sip, but I almost jumped from my seat in surprise as I felt something hit my shoe.

I glanced to see the two men across from me not paying attention to us, but I could have sworn I saw Xigbar glancing at me out of the corner of his eye in mischief.


	6. Clumsy

"How was your lunch break girls?" Xemnas asked as Kairi and I stepped back into the office as she shook off our drenched coats.

"It's raining cats and dogs outside. It's kind of a pain that the delivery man wanted us to come outside to pick up our food," I just sighed as Xigbar sipped his mug of cold coffee.

"It's a miracle that he even tried to deliver in this weather. Why didn't you try any of the lunches from Aeleus' shop?" Xigbar asked as he glanced over to see Vanitas' desk empty for the moment.

"He said that most of the food wasn't looking too good and Marluxia wanted to reach out to the supplier to see if they sent us a bad batch," Kairi said adjusting her chair and fluffed out her slightly damp hair.

"Bummer. Hope the little guy didn't try to buy anything from Aeleus," Xigbar said glancing over at Xemnas as he shifted his gaze to his own work.

A second later, Vanitas burst through the door with a grin as he held a couple boxes of tupperware, "Guess who got a free lunch today!"

The three of us just looked at Vanitas in horror as we glanced at him, unsure if we should tell him the truth. "Who did you get the lunch from Vani?" Kairi asked, already trying to get the scoop as he walked past my desk to sit back at his station.

"Lea gave me a few boxes he got from Marluxia. Some type of promotion they were doing and had leftovers!" Vanitas said with a cheeky grin as Xigbar held a grin on his face.

"Make sure to look for weird mold spots. You don't know where that food has been sitting," I said a little uneasy from the situation as Vanitas rolled his eyes as he mouthed 'Yes Mom' in my direction.

Before he opened the containers of food, he glanced over at me with a twinkle in his eye, "You're back from lunch already, right?" I hesitated before nodding.

"Want to make a bet?" Vanitas said as he held an empty folder in his hands. "Only if Xemnas approves it first," I suggested glancing over at our boss' desk as he shrugged, "As long as the work gets done."

"Perfect! This is work you will need to learn to sort through anyways," Vanitas smiled as he placed the folder on the edge of his desk and held his hand out like a fist. "We will do rock paper scissors to see who goes and gets the files we need from the closet archives."

"That sounds easy enough." 

* * *

"This was a terrible bet." I groaned as I was sitting on the floor surrounded by all the archived documents in the Restoration Department. I just glanced around the massive archive room in panic before fully accepting my fate to this project for the rest of my shift.

As I sat on the ground, sifting through my sticky notes and the papers that Vanitas needed me to find, I was able to keep myself grounded by researching one project at a time. I felt myself constantly checking my watch to make sure that I was going to be out on time tonight.

Another hour later, I beamed with pride as I noticed that I almost Vanitas' grocery list of documents as I neatly compiled them in the folder I was given. While I finished putting sticky notes on the last of the documents, I heard a small knock on the doorframe behind me.

I glanced back, I smiled loosely as I saw Riku and Terra standing there with a few bundles of tarps in their arms. "Hey guys, what have you been up to in your department today?" I asked turning my attention to them as I sat on the ground.

"We just finished restoring an old painting about fairy tales based around Radiant Gardens. If you wanna check it out after work, you can ask one of us to check it out in the studio," Riku said beaming with pride as I raised an eyebrow.

"It's not going out until we have our gala on New Year's Eve, since we're supposed to be doing an entire theme based on the piece itself. It's going to be pretty awesome," Terra explained as I shook my head.

"I appreciate the sneak peek, but I rather leave that up to being surprised when I see the final piece on display."

"Of course. What brings you over here anyways," Riku asked as I shuffled my papers together, "I'm collecting documents for my team to rewrite a few grants. Although I did have trouble finding information about botanical sculptures."

"That would be in the next archival room over, should be easy to find since it's a very small space compared to this room," Terra explained as he gestured to the direction behind him.

"If it makes it easier, I can have Terra show you where those files are since he's an expert with our sculpture archives."

"That would be awesome, I mean if you can that is. You both seem to be a little busy," I said picking my work off the floor as Riku laughed swiping the tarps from Terra's arms, "We're pretty much done for the day. It can be the last thing you do before you head out early for the day."

Terra glanced between his Department Director and me before sliding out of the way. I stepped out of the room and closed the door behind me to see Terra already working to open the door for the next archived library.

Riku leaned over and whispered into my ear, "Please make sure he goes home. He tends to have a tendency of losing track of time once he gets involved in his work."

"Whatever keeps you from pulling your hair out," I said with a soft smile as Riku left to put his supplies back into the Restoration studio.

Walking over to see Terra turning on the lights into the dimly lit room... oh who am I kidding?

This space was the size of a small walk-in closet.

With the tight space, I was worried about stepping in behind Terra before he glanced at me with a light-hearted smile on his face, "Don't worry, just come on in. I'll close the door so the files don't get exposed to the humidity."

I nodded for a second before I placed my files on the shelf by the door and squeezed myself in, barely touching Terra's arm as he reached behind me to close the door.

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I glanced up at him, "I didn't know the humidity from outside could affect the documents even by leaving the door open."

"Since we're so close to the lobby and the elevator shaft, there is plenty of air circulation in this part of the building, which is good for us when we need varnish to dry fast, but terrible for documents," Terra said as I backed myself up tightly against the filing cabinets behind me as he moved towards the door to give me space.

I took a deep breath and thanked the gods that the lights were dim in here since I found myself oogling Terra underneath his tight-fitting linen shirt. Even for a light beige color, I could still see spots of varnish that dripped onto the front of his shirt.

I tore my gaze from his chest as he reached for a box above my head before placing it at my feet.

"This should have documented photos and records on artists that were well known for botanical sculptures up to a couple of hundred years ago. I will admit that this is a weird piece to need for writing a grant," Terra started to ramble to himself as I pulled the box open and skimmed through the files.

I smiled, glancing up at him from my crouching position, realizing how tall he was compared to me in such a small space as I asked, "Mind grabbing that file next to your head? I think I can finally call today's project done!"

He nodded as he adjusted himself for a second to reach the file before he handed it down to me so I could carefully arrange the needed records in the folder.

As I started to close up the box, I could hear the door being jostled. I glanced up to see Terra's back to me as he appeared to be rattling the doorknob, "Is everything okay Terra?"

"Yeah, this door just seems to be a little... difficult toda-" I could see Terra's hands stop as he turned around holding the doorknob in his hand.

"You got to be kidding me."

"I didn't mean to take it off, it just came off while I was trying to open the door," Terra said holding his hands up as I suddenly stood up and pushed the box to the side and stepped around it.

As I looked at the only exit out of this tiny closet, there was a crack in the wood and a hole where the doorknob was.

"Please tell me you have your radio, because I totally forgot mine since I was with Riku all day," Terra started to say as he placed the doorknob on the lower shelf next to him. I nodded before I started to pat myself down.

I felt my blood go cold as I looked up at him. "I forgot mine too."

"Okay... Let's try to be calm! Let's... Break the door down?" Terra asked gesturing with his hand as I shrugged, "I'll take responsibility for repairs if it makes up for the fact we forgot our radios."

"Whatever covers up our embarrassing mistakes," He muttered for a second before he started slamming with full force against the door with his body. I jumped back from the noise before realizing that this was going to take a while.

I just placed my file to the side before stepping a few feet back to lean against the back wall to give Terra enough room.

After a few minutes and no budging, I shook my head as I started to step towards a beaten and tired Terra.

"It's okay Terra, we'll find another way out of here," I said trying to stay calm as Terra glanced over at me seeing me reach for the files I had organized earlier. He nodded in defeat before something above my head caught his attention. He held his breath for a second as I looked up at him quizzically.

"Terra? What are you look-" I squeaked in surprise as I felt Terra pinning me back against the closet wall as office supplies rattled on the shelf above us before crashing to the ground.

With my head against his chest and his heart pounding away at the adrenaline rush, I heard his voice speak up in a shaken tone, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm okay Terra," I said as Terra slowly pushed himself off of me as I saw the look of relief wash over his face.

"I'm so sorry, it's our fault that we're trapped here in the first place. I shouldn't have tried to break the door down like that," He started to speak with the guilt rising in his downcasted eyes as I raised my eyebrow at him.

"Are you kidding? Sure, we're stuck in here for the time being, but someone is going to know that we're missing." I said trying to ease my bubbling anxiety as I wanted to keep Terra from being completely a wreck on my hands.

_Hell, I haven't had many conversations with the guy to be judgemental on his clumsiness_, I thought to myself as I slid down the side of the filing cabinets to sit on the dusty floor beneath us.

"Want to just relax and accept our fate instead of feeling distressed about it any longer?" I tried to chime in with a lighthearted smile as he sighed, taking a seat next to me, his arm brushing against me as we adjusted ourselves to lean against the cool surface.

"What were you looking for in here anyways? Usually, Vanitas is here looking through the archives trying to find paperwork for your department," Terra finally asked as I shifted my legs to pull my knees to my chest.

I took a deep sigh as I glanced up at the brunette before speaking, "I lost a game of rock paper scissors so I got sent in here."

I could hear Terra snort for a second as I turned to him in embarrassment and anger, "It's not funny! Now I'm sitting in a closet because I didn't pick rock."

"S-sorry, I feel like you decide things in a very unorthodox way in your department. It's always games with your Historians," He said with a light-hearted apology as he glanced the other way trying to calm back down.

"Maybe we get tired of the day-in and day-out routines. We gotta mix it up sometimes," I said as I brush a strand of hair behind my ear, just wanting to be out of this small closet.

"It's not a bad thing. In fact, it makes me a little jealous."

"Jealous?"

"Don't get me wrong, I do like my coworkers, but sometimes we get so wound up in deadlines for the exhibitions that we forget to relax," Terra explained as I raised my eyebrow, leaning against his arm which snapped his attention in my direction immediately.

"I don't believe Riku being a real 'time to relax' type of boss. Maybe he needs to spend more time on a vacation," I suggested as Terra smirked.

"Oh, we tried. We thought once he and Sora started going out, he'd loosen up from his goofy attitude. Instead, he turned into the cocky but badass boyfriend type instead. We even tried to schedule the two of them a vacation, and Riku canceled it to give Sora a spa day while he worked."

"Geez, sounds like it's a tough time. What about yourself?" I asked as Terra ran a hand through his hair. "Ah, I'm... I've been a bit busy and trying to keep to work lately. I just never found anyone who gets me, or would understand me..."

He started to say as his gaze trailed up to the ceiling before he snapped his gaze towards me with a glint of hope in his eyes, "I have an idea how we're getting out of here?"

I just looked up before seeing him point up towards the small window above the doorframe, "It's a bit of a squeeze, but you might be able to make it outside."

"Are you calling me fat?" I said in a mocking tone as we both stood to our feet. "N-no! You look really great... I mean, I think that you'll fit through it just fine," Terra stammered as I grinned to see the blush flushing to his face as I tried to reach the window.

I tried to jump and get on my tiptoes to reach the window sill but I groaned in frustration. "Terra, is there a stool in here that I can use to boost myself up?" I asked as I kept waving my hands trying to still reach.

The absolute silence made me turn around as Terra coughed, glancing to the side awkwardly. "Sorry, no stool in here from what I see. W-would it be okay if I lifted you up?"

I just felt my face twitch as I tried to smile warmly. "If you don't drop me, I don't want to live in here forever," I said as Terra stepped forward and got down on one knee with his hands interlocked.

I nodded as I carefully placed my hand onto his shoulder and firmly planted my foot in his hands as he slowly and carefully boosted me up to the small glass window.

Biting my bottom lip, I pulled my hands up to grasp onto the window lock, trying to jostle it open.

"Stupid ass... This building is a pain in the...." I growled under my breath as I started to violently shake the handle, trying to loosen it.

"W-wait, careful! You're going to-" I could hear Terra's voice as the handle snapped in my hands and I could feel myself slowly falling back.

I threw my hands out, letting go of the handle as I tried to grab onto anything else to stop my fall.

"MOTHERFUC-"

After a few moments, I felt myself hold my throbbing head in a daze.

"Fuck my head..." I groaned rubbing my head, wondering what stopped my fall. I felt my eyes adjusting from the dizzy spell before seeing that I was leaning against Terra's chest right between his legs.

"Oh no, oh Terra you didn't-"

I turned to face him to see that he was laughing and had a nervous smile spread across his face, "I don't think it'd look good if you died on the clock."

I just looked at him on horror before I grabbed his face and bringing his head up, even though I know that being sprawled between his legs isn't a good look if someone found us now.

"Are you okay? Fucking hell you are thick-headed," I groaned in frustration as he rolled his eyes. "I've had worse. Believe me, I'm fine."

"You are a towering skyscraper that got wiped out by a baby giraffe. How can you be okay?!" I started to shout as he pulled my hands away and leaned close to my face smiling, "If you really want to see if I'm fine, how about..."

Terra started to lean further, placing his hand onto my shoulder whispering into my ear before he drooped forward, unconscious on my shoulder.

I drew in a deep breath before getting up and helping Terra lean against the wall. I turned around quickly and started banging on the door screaming, "ANYONE OUT THERE?! HELP US DAMMIT!!!"

* * *

"Count the lucky stars you banged on the door loud enough. You two would have been locked in for the night if I went out my usual route," Dilan remarked as he pulled a screwdriver out of his bag to adjust the door handle back into place.

"Thanks for getting us out of there, I was worried that Terra had gotten a concussion after catching me like that during our escape attempt," I said pulling my sweater tighter around my body as Terra had his hands in his back pockets acting quiet.

"Either way, you should have remembered to take your radio with you. Woodward here usually forgets his behind since he's usually doing the heavy lifting with another person," He said as I pulled my braided hair tighter around my neck, realizing why we even have radios.

"To be honest though, you both kept calm in the situation that you were in. Pity you didn't take advantage of it," Dilan ended that sentence glancing over at Terra. Terra covered his face with his arm before he spoke up, "If you're just trying to fish for a thank you, then thanks Dilan for being the first one to find us."

Dilan just chuckled as I laughed nervously noticing the tension in the room, "I guess we should be on our way. Mind walking me to the offices so the ghosts don't get me?"

Dilan just smirked at my comment as Terra nodded, swiping the flashlight offered by Dilan as we both walked back to the administrative offices.

As we both walked in silence through the back offices as most of the lights were out, Terra spoke up first. "I'm glad that you're unhurt. I should have thought of myself first but I was terrified seeing you fall from that height," He started to say as I raised an eyebrow trying to get a look at his face.

With his back completely turned to me, I could barely make out body language through the dark before he stopped. I glanced and smiled in surprise as I saw we made it back to my department's office, making me pull my keys out and unlock the office door.

As I shuffled past Terra to place down the documents I was originally retrieving onto my desk, I glanced to see that everyone else left more piles of work for me to do.

Figures they probably thought I went home, I sighed as I grabbed my heavier coat and bag from behind the desk. I rushed back towards the door to see Terra standing there waiting for me. I smiled for a second as I noticed him glancing over at me as he sighed in relief, "Got all of your things?"

"At least the stuff important to get home," I said with a smile as I locked the office door behind me. I could hear shuffling behind me before I glanced to see Terra fiddling with the flashlight as he glanced at the ground.

"I know that you're probably tired from the adventure we already had, but if you want to wait a few minutes, do you want to walk out together?" Terra asked as I could see him brushing his thumb over the flashlight's bulb.

I tried to fight back a smile as I grinned, slinging my arm to hook with his, taking him by some surprise, "If this is your way of asking me out on a date..."

I saw the flashlight hit the ground with a loud clatter as Terra just stood there frozen.

"A-ah, a date?! What makes you think I meant it like that?" He asked, surprised enough until I burst out laughing and grabbing the flashlight from the ground gesturing it to his chest, "I'm kidding, I'm sorry. I'm really terrible with jokes, but I would appreciate it if we did leave together. Then I'd feel better knowing you aren't overworking in the office like your boss."

His body seemed to relax next to mine as a nervous laugh broke the air a minute later.

"That would be nice, plus you won't get locked in another closet because of my clumsiness," He said with a quiet tone as we made our way past the cubicles and back towards the lobby.


	7. Cocky Co-Workers

"Good morning Dilan!" I called out as I walked past the front desk to see Dilan was carrying a ladder on his broad shoulders. He glanced back for a second before nodding in acknowledgment, "Good morning little Historian. Am I in your way?"

"Not at all! I just..." I felt the words dry up on my tongue as I looked up at the taller man. I could see the patience running thin on his face as I assume I was stopping him from getting where he needed to go.

"Do you need help?" I finally asked, realizing how awkward it was to stop him first thing in the morning. He just looked at me and chuckled as he turned his back, "I can handle the ladder on my own thank you. Now, if you don't mind, I have to go take care of the light fixtures that need adjusting in Gallery C."

I just sighed for a second as I saw him walking away. I glanced at my watch seeing I still had at least half an hour until my shift started. I grasped my bag as I jogged lightly and caught up to Dilan's side. "Mind if I help you with the light fixtures?"

Dilan just raises and eyebrow before he shakes his head, realizing I'm not going to go away easily.

"Suit yourself. You can help me by handing up the light bulbs that need to be replaced and to make sure the lighting looks perfect on some of the gallery pieces we have on display," Dilan explained as we entered Gallery C and I can see boxes of tools in the middle of the room.

I smiled as I dropped my bag onto one of the nearby benches and started taking off my heavy coat. Dilan took a minute to set up and adjust the ladder to the perfect position for the first set of fixtures.

"Have you taken any of the safety courses yet?" Dilan's voice reached my ears as I looked up to see him halfway up the ladder with a pair of thick gloves and a tool belt slung across his back and shoulders.

"Not yet," I called up as Dilan glance down at me with his hazy purple eyes. He sighed as he reaches into his pocket and pulled out a bungee cord, slinging one portion to hook onto the ladder and dropped the other end towards the ground.

"I don't want to have you climb on the ladder since it'd be a danger for both of us. You can hook the boxes of new light bulbs and I'll pull them up, switch them out as we move from fixture to fixture," Dilan explained as he gestured to the packaged light bulbs right next to the toolbox.

"Sure thing Dilan!" I called out as I walked on over and start hooking the first box of light bulbs to his makeshift pulley system.

* * *

"How do you like working here so far?" Dilan asked me as I finished placing all the burnt-out bulbs into the museum's recycling bins.

"It's a nice place, sometimes I do feel like everyone sticks to their own tasks, but the people can be nice at times," I explained as I dashed through the door Dilan held open for me.

"That's good to hear, although it must depend for which department you work for as well."

"What do you mean?"

Dilan raised an eyebrow at me before sighing running his hands up to adjust the loose ponytail that held his dreadlocks together, "I have the managers from the other departments always giving me the runaround at times. Without me, the museum would probably go into flames!"

I felt my face scrunch up unsure of how to respond to Dilan's outburst.

An idea came to mind before I placed my hand gently onto the man's shoulder and smiled brightly at him, "I'm sorry that everyone doesn't respect you. But I appreciate all that you do to keep the building in top condition. Without you, this place would look run down and we'd all be out of the job."

Dilan's face said it all with surprise before he placed his hand on the top of my head. "You're too kind little Historian."

"I'm not that much younger than you, Dilan."

Dilan laughed as both of us walked back towards the lobby, "I'm still your senior. Speaking of seniority..."

I stopped for a second as Dilan had a grin cross his face, "What exactly happened between you and Woodward anyways?" I blinked as I spoke up, "You mean Terra? Nothing happened at all."

"Really?"

"Why do you ask?"

"The look on his face when I asked him about it when he returned the flashlight was priceless," Dilan said as he crossed his arms over his chest. I rolled my eyes as I smiled nervously, "I might have caused his heart to stop over a little joke, but nothing else otherwise."

"Oh man, you don't know how big of a deal this is. Terra Woodward has never gotten this flustered in the years I've worked with him around the museum."

I pondered on the incident for a moment as I shook my head clutching my heavy coat and bag around my shoulder, "Maybe he needs to get out and meet more people?"

Dilan shrugged about to respond but he heard a call for him on his radio. "Definitely not the case. Anyways, thank you for working here," Dilan commented as we made our separate ways.

I stopped at the bottom of the staircase seeing the distant corridor where the Preservation & Reconstruction Department lies.

_I wonder if Dilan is just trying to rouse some drama around the museum with rumors. Guess I could always just ask Terra himself_, I thought to myself with a smile as my shoes clicked on the marble staircase.

As I opened the administration office up with my card key, I could see Isa walking towards me with a file in hand. "Good morning, we're going to be discussing some of your other duties today," Isa stated as I nodded following him across the office.

I noticed immediately that three other people were sitting around the office as they glanced at me entering the room. Ienzo and Luxord were finishing up their conversation before Isa gestured for them to keep it down.

"This is-"

"I know who she is Isa, she's the angel that fell from the heavens to grace our presence," Luxord said giving me a wink before Ienzo groaned from the sappiness of that flirting joke.

"Do you need a reminder from Xion?" Isa scowled as Luxord held his hands up in defense, "I didn't touch a thing this time."

_This time?_ I thought to myself in bewilderment before Ienzo interrupted the two men, "We met a while ago in passing. I guess we should have been a little more courteous around the new employee."

"Ah... No need to at all! I heard from the other departments that you're Ienzo and he's Luxord," I said with a smile on my face before Luxord raised an eyebrow in my direction before crossing his arms over his chest.

"Isa, if I'm not here for another incident report, then why are we here?" Luxord asked as Ienzo shook his head in completely annoyed by the blonde suit.

"Didn't you read the full e-mail I sent you this morning?"

"I dragged him here before he got another lecture from Even. We'd be late if we stayed," Ienzo said, hoping that his response for Luxord's cluelessness was a suitable answer.

Isa nodded as I slowly moved closer to the desk as I saw the bluenette opening the file he had earlier.

"Our new employee needs some quick hands-on training in your department Ienzo. Xemnas gave his recommendation after she observed some files you sent over. Even though it was a last-minute call, the second batch of scans seemed to given the Documentation team more to work with," Isa explained as he showed a comparison from the first and second batch of scans on the tablet Xemnas had me look over.

Ienzo glanced at the two before Luxord glanced back at me with a smile on his face, "A pretty face and you have a keen eye for detail? I'm impressed sweetheart. Want to transfer over to our department?"

I just felt the heat rise to my cheeks in surprise as Isa grabbed a stapler and unsnapped the bottom before he held it in a threatening manner at the young blond, "Will it kill you to stop trying to sexually harass your coworkers?"

Luxord just sighed as he grabbed the scans from Isa's desk, "As much as I want to be flirtatious right now, I am surprised that she noticed a big gap in details from the original scans. Not to put both you and Even under the bus Ienzo, but there is clear proof that this looked rushed."

I felt my heart started to grow in confidence as Ienzo sighed scratching his head, "I don't want to be a rat too, but this definitely wasn't done by me. I think these were rushed last minute because of the next donor tour we have coming up and we wanted to show we were making progress."

Isa folded his hands on his desk as he smirked, "See why I need you to take her under your wing for the day? I've heard complaints from Riku's team as well that Even keeps taking out artifacts and not putting them back where they should be."

"Is that the order I'm expecting you to give today?" Luxord asked as I noticed with twinkle in his eyes as Isa nodded.

"Please send Even home to get some actual sleep. He's probably stressing himself out like crazy again," Isa explained as I sighed in relief realizing that Even wasn't functioning and not just slacking on his job.

"You do know that my father isn't going to like it," Ienzo started to say with a heavy sigh as I raised an eyebrow wondering how they could be related.

"It's out of my hands Ienzo, Ansem realized that Even has been avoiding him as well lately trying to meet all his deadlines. You need a second pair of eyes to double-check his work and redo it. Even Luxord is being asked to triple check the work instead of reaching out to donors."

Everyone's eyes went onto Isa as he stood up from his desk while Luxord took the file from the man's desk and tapping it against his own chest.

"We'll send the old man home and make sure the missy is efficient in picking out the duds," Luxord said with beaming confidence that I was mildly amused by his determined demeanor.

"As you are then," Isa said as Ienzo and Luxord started to head out of the office. I was able to close the door behind me before I heard Isa call my name.

"Before you go, Xemnas says that he wants you to shadow him and Xigbar at the next donor tour. I figured I should tell you ahead of time so you can ask Luxord on professional etiquette so you don't get cold feet." I blinked in surprise as a smile crossed my face.

"Thank you Isa," I said with a smile as I closed the door to his office and followed the unlikely duo back to the main lobby.


	8. Crystals, Silver, and Roses

"Thank you for all taking the time out of your day to join us on a tour of our facilities today. We want to let you know that your donations are going into preserving our artifacts and keeping this museum in the most pristine condition."

Xemnas spoke with a small smile on his face as Xigbar and I flanked his sides as we stood in front of a small group of individuals known as 'Crystal Donors' and the Department's biggest donors and artifact enthusiasts.

I started to scribble in my notebook the brief descriptions of the guests in front of us while Xemnas continued to speak, "I have two associates from the Historical Documentation Department here with our group today. Most of you have met our lovely Mr. Graves before today, and we have a new Historian on the staff who we would love you to get to know in the future."

I blushed as I stood in front of the crowd of donors who looked so casually dressed compared to the three of us. Xemnas wore a button-down linen shirt with black slacks, Xigbar wore a dark purple Cuban collared shirt with his dark grey slacks.

I felt a little underdressed as I wore a white blouse with a flowing hi-lo black skirt with a pair of black slip-ons.

_If I felt comfortable with heels, I would have brought them to change before this tour_, I thought to myself feeling guilty for looking so average compared to my seniors. I felt a hand suddenly grab my wrist as I noticed an older lady with large spectacles and a reddish sun hat on her head smiling at me.

"It is a pleasure to see a young new face take an interest in our history. Would you be so kind in guiding me along the tour?" She asked in a soft voice as I glanced around to realize that Xemnas has already taken off with the tour around the hall as Xigbar tagged behind to make sure we didn't lose our way.

"O-of course, not a problem!" I said as I held my hand before she linked arms with me following my lead behind the group.

"Mrs. Devee, is everything okay? I know that it was hard to ask you to take time out of your schedule to meet with us," Xigbar asked in such a courteous manner that I didn't recognize him as the same coworker that would mock Isa and trying to push his work onto the rest of us in the department.

The lady at my side smiled as she hooked her other arm around Xigbar's as we walked with her to follow the group, "Nonsense Mr. Graves! Even if my health is slowly declining, I will still drive a stick shift until the day I pass. Please make a memorial in my honor because I will dearly miss these tours the most."

"As you wish," Xigbar said as he sent a small glance in my direction, realizing that I had to make a mental note to keep Mrs. Devee as comfortable as possible during today's tour.

* * *

"I'm surprised that you managed to hand her off to one of the other donors in the group. She usually hangs to our staff like a trophy wife," Xemnas commented while we were taking a small refreshment break in a reserved gallery with the Crystal Donors chatting among themselves.

I almost choked on my lemonade before I looked at my Department Director trying to decide if his comment was serious. From the look on his face, he was dead serious and it was surprising to see that he saw the donors in a different light.

"I would owe all of that credit to Xigbar if I have to be honest, he knows how to play any woman's heart to his guise, be if it's for his benefit or ours I suppose," I said glancing across the room to see the one-eyed man giving directions to a group of guests who wanted to know when the next tour would be and how to reserve a spot for the upcoming exhibition.

"Interesting observation. But you are correct, he always had a way to smooth talk his way into their brain like a drug dealer," Xemnas said as I placed my glass down, realizing that Xemnas was being a lot more open than usual about his opinions.

"Sir?" I asked, a little curious now seeing that instead of speaking with these donors to get more funding for the museum, he was spending the time casually talking with me. Even if his opinion is a little blunt and too honest.

"Don't mind my crass comments, I've been feeling a little... under the weather lately. Do you mind accompanying me to visit the gardens?" Xemnas asked as I nodded furiously. "I haven't had a chance to really explore it since working here, I'm usually in the building rushing through my lunch," I said bashfully as he held his hand out for me to follow him out of the room.

I could hear nothing but the echoes of our shoes clicking across the floor before we reached the back of the museum gallery. Xemnas grabbed his keys from his pocket and unlocked the back door. As he unlocked and held the door open for me, I followed him out and came to a halt at the top of the stairs.

I could feel my body lock up from the brisk breeze as I looked upon the hedge maze and lush gardens in front of me. From where we stood seemed like the highest point of the gardens as I could see sculptures and a massive fountain in the heart of the maze.

"We usually open the gardens on the weekends, only a handful of the staff have keys to access it outside of normal hours," I heard Xemnas standing next to me as I glanced up at him seeing that he was unphased by the sudden temperature drop.

"I assume you tend to escape here when you're not wanting to deal with our shenanigans up in the office?" I asked curiously as he chuckled lightly. "Something like that. It's just somewhere where I can get a moment of peace outside of my life," He explained as he walked down the stairs as I followed him.

"I feel like this isn't my place to ask, but what's keeping you under the weather?" I asked after a few minutes of walking down the marble path in the hedge labyrinth.

Xemnas glanced back at me for a second as he placed his right hand into his pants pocket, "It's something I would not disclose to a colleague in my department, but I feel that I can trust you after seeing how dedicated you are to your work."

I could feel my heart flutter from the compliment as I smiled. He turned back away before I noticed we had made our way to the heart of the maze and standing in the middle of an open courtyard area with a gazebo standing tall before the massive fountain.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Xemnas said as he approached the railing attached to the gazebo overlooking the overflowing fountain. "It's truly magnificent," I gasped joining his side, realizing that there was a row of rose bushes between the gazebo railing and the fountain, possibly to keep people from jumping in from such a height.

"Now, I would like to assure you that I enjoy my position as the Department Director and I appreciate all of the work that the four of you do," Xemnas started to speak as he turned to face me. I raised an eyebrow as he continued, "But I am at a loss of motivation and unsure if it is time for me to move on from my position and duties at this museum."

I bit the bottom of my lip before I spoke up, "Do you think it's wise to tell your newest colleague that you are thinking of leaving?"

"Perhaps not, but maybe you can give me some insight. As a second opinion since I have noticed some changes since you started working under me two months ago. You have keen observation skills that I wouldn't have noticed until you took a look at the piece I asked your opinion on."

I crossed my arms over the banister before turning towards the fountain in front of us as I sighed, "Sir, I can do my best to give you an opinion. But I don't think you should base your future career choices on my answers."

He nodded as he slides closer to me from where he stood before, "Understood. It's only one thing I noticed has happened since your arrival."

"It feels like you and the others take more of a liking to follow Xigbar's instructions more than anyone else when it comes to duties around the museum," Xemnas stated as we leaned against the banister overlooking the fountain as I brushed my fingertips on the nearby rosebush.

I nodded as I tapped my fingers along the railing before I glanced in his direction. "Well, I wouldn't say that it's anything personal against you, but..." I bit my bottom lip as I noticed Xemnas' gaze drifted from the fountain a few feet away from us and looking through me with curiosity.

"But?"

"May I speak freely?" I said as I started to take a few steps off on the path to turn my attention to one of the hedges surrounding us.

"You may. I'm curious to see where you go with this," Xemnas said as I turned back around to face him twisting my wrists with my hands.

"I think the reason could be that it feels like you're lacking. I mean that it feels like you've kind of given up hope on your job and the people in your department," I started to speak slowly as I felt my eyes get bigger as Xemnas started taking a few steps towards me.

"A-and... Well, maybe everyone follows Xigbar b-because..." I started to slowly step back before I felt the pricking of the hedge through my clothes in my back as Xemnas towered over me as he stood a few feet away from where I was.

Xemnas raised his hand out in a gesture which made me reach out for him as I noticed that he didn't mean to be threatening. But the storm in his eyes said he was filled with frusteration.

As I grabbed his outreached hand, he pulled me out from my safety zone as I collided with his chest. He gripped and pulled my hand up like we were about to start a waltz.

"Continue," I heard the tone in his voice shifted, noticing a hinted growl behind it as I could feel the lump in my throat growing. I looked up into his bright amber eyes as I felt my hand dropping from his grasp and landing onto his shoulder, with his thumb brushing against the bottom of my lip.

"T-this is just my observation but Xigbar is picking up the slack where you've dropped the ball Xemnas," I felt my voice losing itself as I tried to observe his face to see what to expect.

All I could see in his eyes was that something sparked inside of him. Like something he didn't realize was gone until now.

I didn't realize I was holding my breath until I saw a smirk slowly tug on the corners of his mouth as he leaned forward to whisper into my ear.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I have to say, you are interesting the more you speak your mind. It's like your words are as sweet as honey," I heard Xemnas say that I couldn't register when he moved his hand away from my lips as he brushed his lips against my ear.

I could feel my cheeks turning pink as he pulled away and stepped a few feet away as he heard something coming from behind the other side of the hedge.

I clamped my hands over my mouth as I heard Lea's voice on the other side. As it sounded like he was on the phone with someone, his voice started to drift away moments later as he stepped away from the area.

I removed my hands from my mouth, assuming that Lea could even hear me from the other side of the hedge.

I glanced over to see Xemnas trying to straighten himself out as he looked off in the distance before he spoke up with a slight cough.

"Pardon my behavior. I have a terrible habit of trying to get involved with my coworkers, even forcing my flirtatious ways onto them in a sensual way. I don't want you to think of me badly as your Department Director."

I just stood there in astonishment as he finally glanced in my direction, "If you need to, you can direct comments of sexual harassment to Isa and Xion."

And with that comment, Xemnas turned back towards the fountain before glancing down at the waters, "Do you mind going to see how Xigbar and the donor tour is going? I will catch up with you later."

Without another word, I carefully stepped back on the path and headed back through the maze and into the museum. I took one glance back at the gardens and brushing my fingers lightly against my bottom lip.

I glanced at the museum doors before groaning in frustration as I ran straight for the hedge maze.

"Xemnas!" I called out as I walked at a hurried pace through the gardens before I stood at a fork. Closing my eyes and running my fingers through my knotted hair as the wind whipped around, I took the left path and found myself back at the fountain.

Expect with no Xemnas insight. I stepped forward and glanced around the area, knowing he couldn't have gone far. I frowned before I wrapped my hands around my mouth and called out, "You're going to have to do better than that to get fired!"


	9. Stud Muffins & Cupcakes

I'm glad you were able to keep your cool with the donor tour today, this calls for a celebration!" Xigbar said with a cocky grin as his hand slapped down onto my shoulder. I jumped in surprise as I shook my head, "I don't know if that counts, I just shadowed you and Xemnas today. Not like I did anything amazing..."

"Nonsense! Being able to not break down and have a panic attack around rich people is all we can ask for. Now come on, let's ask if anyone else can join us tonight in your first big hurrah," The one-eyed coworker said with a grin as I started to pack my stuff into my bag.

I stole a glance back over at Xemnas' desk by the window with concern. I haven't seen him since I left the garden hours ago after he was trying to seduce me. Or I think he was. He never returned to the Crystal donor tour either so Xigbar and I had to wrap it up as soon as we could.

"Hey Xigbar..." I started to ask before I saw the man was already asking Kairi and Vanitas who came back from Isa's office with documents to work on next week. He glanced back with a curious expression from the tone of my questioning voice.

I just forced a smile and shook my head, signaling that it wasn't important to ask him. He smiled before turning back around to get his invitation rejected by our two coworkers. "Well, time to ask everyone else," Xigbar called out as he strolled out of the Historical Documentation Department office to harass the rest of our co-workers.

I sighed about to follow him out when a thought popped up in mind. "Hey Kairi, Vanitas. Have either of you seen Xemnas? He kind of disappeared on us at the end of the donor event," I asked my two friends as they tensed up at the mention of our Department Director's name.

"Well, yeah we did. He kind of rushed in here all of a sudden and actually said he'd work from home the rest of the day," Vanitas started to explain as he exchanged looks with Kairi.

"Oh... I see," I said, feeling a little deflated but relieved that he didn't end up getting abducted or something. Then again, with his big muscles and frame, could anyone take him down?

I shook away the thought as I tried to walk past them, "No worries then, I guess I'll fill him in next week about how the donor event went for me and Xig..."

I stopped as I felt Kairi put a hand on my shoulder.

"What's going on guys?"

"Did... something happen between you and Xemnas? He seemed a little... guilty," Kairi asked in a hushed tone as my gaze glanced between both Kairi and Vanitas. Even Vanitas had a worried look on his face which seemed out of character from the cocky personality he usually portrays.

"Ah, we..." I paused for a moment as I realized that I shouldn't be telling them about our boss' plan to possibly retire from his position at the museum. That seemed like something he should be announcing to his own staff. Even with what happened with Xemnas wasn't considered assault. If we said holding hands was a misdemeanor, the world would be in flames.

I cleared my throat as I shook my head, "Not really, we just talked about how I was doing at the museum so far and career options for the future. He wanted to give advice so I didn't feel like I was on the wrong track."

"Really," Vanitas asked with a flat tone in his voice as I nodded, trying to keep tight-lipped.

"You don't believe me?" I asked looking between the two of them before they sighed.

"The last time we saw this type of behavior from Xemnas was when he stepped over the line with a former coworker. He wasn't good at hiding his emotions back then, but we noticed some similar patterns," Kairi stated as Vanitas smirked, "Although he came back with a handprint on his face last time."

I just cracked a grin at the thought of Xemnas babbling to himself in embarrassment with a handprint burning brightly on the side of his face.

"Believe me, if something happens, I'll let you all know. Why does everyone seem to make Xemnas out like the big scary wolf? He's not the only one that can hunt down some fine ass," I said out loud as I saw goofy smiles crack their way to their faces at my statement.

"If you say so," Vanitas said grabbing his stuff as I walked past both of them with a smile on my face.

"I'll see you all on Monday unless Xigbar gets us both killed by the mob."

* * *

"Why do I get the feeling that no one likes you?" I asked as Xigbar walked right next to me as we held our coats tightly to our bodies as the wind started to pick up. "It's not that they don't like me, I think they don't trust me," Xigbar scoffed as he linked arms with me as I rolled my eyes.

"Like that makes a difference," I said in a sarcastic tone as Xigbar laughed, "Easy tiger. Oh, here we are." I glanced up and found myself being pulled towards the lit-up building that had the flashing neon sign that read _The Lux_ above the doorway.

Xigbar forced his way through to the front and talked with the bouncer quickly that I couldn't even catch up with the conversation. Before I knew it, we were admitted inside and I could see all the strobing lights in the club was going at a steady rate.

The dance floor was covered in dancing, sweaty bodies while the bar was overcrowded with youngsters trying to flag down the poor bartender. Xigbar gestured to the second floor as he ushered me towards the winding metal staircase in the back of the club.

I quickly picked up the pace as I felt my shoes squeaking against the dance floor before I felt the metal echoing beneath every step. By the time I made it to the top of the staircase, I could hear Xigbar calling something behind me. As I glanced back, he already started heading back down the staircase in a hurry.

Sighing in defeat, I glanced around before I saw a booth that was overlooking the dance floor with a short coffee table and a plush booth sofa decorated in faux pillows and lavender colored lighting vacant. I quickly made my way over and dropped all of my stuff on the sofa behind the table.

I started to make my way to the railing and leaning against it, hoping to get a sight of Xigbar. From the waves of people across the floor, I couldn't see a hint of the older man among the bodies. I started to feel anxious, wondering if Xigbar was really planning to come back before I felt a small hand tap my shoulder.

I tensed up for a second before glancing back to see Naminé, Sora, Riku, and Lea standing there with their bags in hand.

"What are you guys doing here?" I called out over the loud bass as Lea grinned, "Xigbar told us to come and celebrate your big win. We were all going to stop by for a little bit at least before we turned in for the night."

I looked at the line of coworkers before a big smile came to my face in embarrassment, "I appreciate it! I assume you guys saw Xigbar?" They shook their head as Naminé sighed, "Knowing him, he's probably getting the heavy hitter drinks to start us off." They started to drop their stuff down on the sofa as I raised an eyebrow at Lea.

"Surprised that I'm not at the hip like some people?" Lea asked, gesturing to Sora and Riku as I shrugged, "I assume if Isa isn't too big into affection at work, he definitely hates it in public." Lea just laughed as he adjusted his tie to loosen it, "Something like that."

"Hey, welcome party people! Thank you for actually showing up," Xigbar called out as I could see him coming up the staircase with a massive grin on his face. Behind him, I could see a waiter was carefully carrying a few bottles of beers and shots on a tray before he placed it onto our table.

Xigbar tipped the nervous waiter with a decent amount before they all sat down in whatever seats and sofa spots available to the six of us. As everyone grabbed an assortment of liquor brought to the table, Xigbar called our attention and raised his glass in the air, "To a successful first day with the Crystal Devils!" Sora and Naminé laughed at the toast as Lea and Riku grinned holding their glasses up.

I raised an eyebrow before clinking glasses with the five of them anyways. "The Crystal Devils?" I asked after everyone after downed their first amount of booze for the night. "That's Xigbar's way of saying 'the pain in the ass donors' since they ask for the most perks," Sora explained as Xigbar snickered. "No one has been against calling them anything else!"

"That's because we don't wanna get fired for insulting rich people that fund the museum," Riku said with an eye roll as Lea crossed his arms, "Pretty boy is right. Even would tear us a new one if he knew we were calling his department's life support 'the Devil'."

"Are we really that strapped for cash, budget-wise?" I glanced between the others as Sora nodded, "Sometimes we are. It always depends if our board members see that we need the 'extra push' to have us stay motivated and keeping our jobs afloat."

"That's horrible!"

"It's the laws of the land babe," Xigbar said leaning back in his chair with a decent balance on the back two legs, while the back of the chair leaned against the railing.

"But forget about work, let's drink until we can't draw a straight line!" Naminé pipped up grabbing another bottle of beer in hand. We all laughed as I brought the shot glass to my lips with a smirk, _Didn't really take the quiet one to be a raging drinker._

* * *

"Wanna play a game?" Xigbar asked as I looked back at him with a marker in hand. "As long as it doesn't involve more drinking, or Naminé needing to wake up from her sobering nap," I said with a chuckle as I capped the marker and placed it next to a sleeping Naminé's head as she had markings all over her face and arms lying back on the couch.

"Oh don't worry. No more drinks involved, I think we know your tolerance is weak after we got you those shots of moonshine," Xigbar said with a smirk as he started grabbing glasses and arranging them on the table in front of us.

The dance floor was starting to quiet down with softer songs playing throughout the night. Most of the club-goers and coworkers had gone home at this point. Sora and Riku took a trolley home while Xigbar apologized to a fuming Isa who had to come and pick up Lea's drunk ass from the club.

The club was fairly empty except for a few tables of people just conversing or getting their last call from the bartenders downstairs.

I drummed my fingers against the table before Xigbar stopped fiddling with the glassware. Once he placed his hands back on his side of the table, I could see his molten gold eye giving me a mischievous look. "It's simple. It's called 'Out Do Me'. We think of small sexy scenarios, and we built on top of it. You lose if you run out of sexy scenarios that make sense. Easy to understand and do, right?" Xigbar explained as I rolled my eyes at him.

"Are you just trying to find out my dirty fantasies in what I want in the bedroom?" I asked leaning back against the cushioned couch as Xigbar snorted. "I could rock your world, fantasy or not," Xigbar said blowing a kiss my way as I pretended to snatch it mid-air and slap it on the table.

"You're on Xigbar," I said glaring the man down as an opponent in this terrible game. "Perfect! You can start first. It can be simple or absolutely outrageous," Xigbar said as I crossed my arms over my chest pondering the first scenario in mind.

"How about... someone getting taken onto a pirate ship?" The look on Xigbar's face turned from one of confusion to one of pride, "This isn't because I'm wearing an eyepatch is it?"

"...Nooo?"

Xigbar snorted as he pushed the glassware around on the table again, "Alright, alright. So, we have a young lass who gets kidnapped by a ruthless pirate and taken to his ship. He tells the men to stand guard as he interrogates the missus about her father's fortune."

I tapped my fingers against my forearm before I leaned by elbows on the table as I focused on the man in front of me. A lightbulb went off as I started to process where this story should go next. "Hm... The lass keeps her lips shut until he started to shackle her to the table, stripping her clothes off hoping to get a rise out of her."

Xigbar raises an eyebrow before he speaks calmly, "The pirate declares he will let the men on his ship take turns with her unless she forfeits the information he wants."

Shit, I can't let him get ahead of me on this, I thought to myself as I tried to close my eyes picturing the scenario in my brain. A sexy naked woman shackled to a wooden table in the captain's quarters looking up at his lustful face. I start to speak as I try to form the pirate's face in my mind, "She.... gives up the information hoping that the pirate will keep his word and let her go."

Xigbar's words rang through my head as he continued the story, "But instead, he takes her for himself and fucks her with no mercy before ordering his men to go steal the treasures." The image changes to Xigbar leering over the defenseless woman before he starts to get undress...

_That sleazy motherfucker_, I thought to myself as I opened my eyes and groaned in embarrassment of the image. Xigbar smirked in triumph as I shook my head, "Damn... I'm out on that one."

"You did pretty well for your first try. Let me start the next round."

I nodded as I ran my finger along the rim of the nearby shot glass. "Alright, go on ahead." Xigbar went quiet for a moment before the look on his face darkened, "Let's take this more in a present mindset... How about... A late night in the office with your coworkers."

My fingers stopped all movement as I looked across the table to look at him, "Do you mean... like a fake scenario or-"

"To make it interesting, let's make the characters you, myself, and Xemnas. Working hard to finish a deadline, burning the midnight oil," Xigbar said gesturing to me as I saw the sudden spark in his eye. I just looked at Xigbar with disbelief before cracking a nervous laugh.

"...I don't know if I wanna approach this scenario with a forty-foot pole."

Xigbar bounced from his seat and walked around the coffee table before plopping down right next to me, "Come on, live a little! What harm is a little fantasy?"

I bit my bottom lip before sighing in defeat, "Well... Fuck it, let's go with it. Xemnas asks you to go get paperwork from someone else's cubicle relating to the study we were working about." Xigbar slipped his hand around my shoulder before leaning back against the couch.

"Hm... Okay, I leave to go find that paperwork, and Xemnas asks you to come over to look over some translations he is working on at his desk."

I felt a lump starting to form in my throat as I tried to shift my gaze to the ceiling above us, "I walk over to help Xemnas look over the translations, finishing the work with ease?" Xigbar just rolled his eyes before he twirled a piece of hair around his fingertips.

"The big boss thanks you for your hard work before you notice that he has quite the sizeable bulge in his pants. Without thinking, you feel yourself becoming hungry and lustful, pushing Xemnas' chair back and get down on your knees."

"...Xigbar, really?"

"You can either lose right now or continue the story."

I hesitate for a moment trying to decide my next course of action carefully, knowing that thinking of Xemnas' amber gaze as I kneel in front of him, was really throwing me off now that this wasn't as much of a fictitious fantasy. "I... Start to undo Xemnas' pants and palm his throbbing bulge... Can we still order shots?" I ask, trying to diverge the conversation away from imagining Xemnas with a massive boner as Xigbar laughed.

Xigbar flagged down a nearby waiter for two shots of brandy as I sighed in relief that my turn was over. "Your move I guess." Xigbar flashes me a grin as he places a hand on his chin, contemplating his next work choice. A massive shit-eating grin came on his face before he faced me.

"You tell Xemnas that he is so much smaller than Xigbar before you pull his dick out to laugh at it."

"Xigbar, come the fuck on!" I groaned in embarrassment that we were having this type of conversation about a fake situation as the bartender came over with the glasses full of the loveliest shade of brandy on this side of town.

"Wanna keep playing?" Xigbar asked as he grabbed his glass and started to down the drink.

I tap my finger against the rim of my glass before mumbling under my breath, "X-Xemnas gets annoyed by my size comparison comment before he... grabs the back of my head and forces it down my throat."

Xigbar places the glass on the coffee table as he laughs. "Kinky! I walk back into the office to see you giving the sloppiest blowjob in the world to our boss. I just go back to work with Xemnas' moans erupting through the air."

I almost choke on the brandy as that image burns into my mind with Xemnas' hands knotting through my hair as I gag on his imaginary cock and Xigbar just hanging out in the background pretending it isn't happening. Xigbar grins before he whispers into my ear, "Want to call this round my win?"

I blush before I jab a finger into his cheek, "In your dreams! Xemnas gives me great pride by calling me a 'good girl' as he shoots a load down my throat." Xigbar smirks as he grabs my hand and holds it tenderly, "Before you even think about getting up from your position at his feet, I pull my dick from my pants and beckon you to take care of me before you get back to real work."

I just look at him with a blank stare on my face before I feel my face getting hot.

"I... I..." I start to stutter as I could see the grin getting wider on Xigbar's face as he realizes I don't want to explain what I would do to him.

"Argh, Fuck! I can't," I groaned as I buried my hand into my hands as I feel Xigbar's hand rest on my head like a pity pat.

"Psssh, we were just getting to the good part too! Now I'm jealous of fantasy-Xemnas."

I slowly pulled my hands from my hands and smirked for a second, "You're jealous of a fake sexual fantasy?"

"Let me remind you that this is _your_ sexual fantasy about our boss," Xigbar's statement wiped the grin off my face immediately as I could feel the sudden realization finally dawn on me. I just talked about having a sex fantasy about my boss.

"Xigbar.... You...!" I could feel the words starting to dry up on my tongue as Xigbar slowly got up and stretched from the couch. He glanced down towards the first level of the club before glancing back at me.

"Come on, I think we're getting booted out. Let's wake Naminé up and get her a trolley home."

Glancing to my right, I had clearly forgotten that Naminé was passed out and still with us.

"Ah, yeah..."

* * *

On the way home, Xigbar and I stood on the late trolley as it strolled down the streets. I sighed as Xigbar wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"Not ready to go home?" Xigbar asked cocking his gaze down at me as my face got flushed, "It's not that. I was thinking about the game..."

"Don't worry, I won't tell Xemnas about your little office daydream," Xigbar said with a smirk as I grabbed the front of his coat, realizing the trolley came to a violent stop. I rolled my eyes before I realized that the warm feeling rushing all over my body from the alcohol wasn't the only thing keeping me drunk.

A twisted thought came to mind as I leaned in, pressing my body against Xigbar's chest with my chin resting on his shoulder. "How about I finish that little story?" I could feel one of Xigbar's hands slide down to my lower back, slinking around my waist as I felt his hot breath brushing against my neck.

"Mhm, I'd love a good bedtime story," Xigbar chuckled for a moment as I wrapped my arms around his neck to keep close to him. I closed my eyes before I spoke, whispering in a seductive tone in his ear.

"I crawl on all fours over to your side of the desk, letting my tongue drop out of my mouth as I saw the glistening precum from the tip of your cock," I spoke softly so no other passengers on the train could hear us.

"I gently brush my tongue, licking from the base of your cock to your tip, slathering all over it like an ice cream cone. I pull your tongue into my mouth and look up at you, getting wet from that cocky smile resting on your face as I suck you dry," I faked a small moan and bit the older man's earlobe, realizing that Xigbar froze up from the moan.

I take the opportunity to run one of my hands down to press against his chest while I continued my twisted sex story, "You pull my head back from your dick before you order me to bend over your desk. I take my time instead, to give you a slow, meaningless strip tease as I know Xemnas is trying to work but he gets allured by my body as do you. Just before I pull my panties down and drop them onto your desk..."

I stop for a second to hear the conductor call out the next station over the PA system. As the train came to another violent stop, I pulled myself away from my coworker's arms with a grin on my face as I saw the aroused look on Xigbar's face.

"I'll see you on Monday," I said with a smile on my playful lips before I blew him a kiss.


	10. Winter Daisies

December was the one time of the year where I had nothing to do back where I was from. The frost would cover the land so the countryside would be barren with no crops to deal with for the season. It was more like a hibernation mode for the small town I came from, so we spent more time indoors rather than play in the snow.

Being that I've been away from home since I started my studies, I've spent time being active so I wouldn't feel the seasonal depression of not being home for the holidays. This year though, I have a lot to keep myself busy through the winter season.

I started to tie my hair up in the bathroom mirror as I had the toothbrush hanging out of my mouth. I quickly swiped the toothbrush out and spat into the side the remaining toothpaste sticking to my gums. As I cleaned my side of the sink up, I glanced at my right shoulder to see the corner of a black inked petal.

With a smile and reminiscing on small memories of home, I quickly exited the bathroom and got myself ready to go. Being left in the house alone was nice when Aqua had to go open the shop early, even though I was running behind as it is.

I adjusted my jeans to make sure they still fit properly and straightening out my collared blouse. As I looked at the clock on the wall in the kitchen, I suddenly bolted for the door realizing that I'm really behind now.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late!" I called out as I stepped into the warm cafe feeling the winter breeze escorted off my body completely. Aqua stood up from the back of the counter with a smile as she greeted me with a single wave, "Don't worry about it! We don't open for another few minutes. Go put your stuff into the back of the shop."

I smiled as I started to shake off my heavy jacket and hear my shoes squeak on the mopped down floorboards. As I passed the small kitchen, I opened the stock room and tossed my jacket onto the coat rack by the door. I closed the door behind me with ease before I turned back on my heels to help Aqua open up.

"Was anyone hanging outside of the shop like they were anxious to come inside? The new hires weren't given keys yet," Aqua asks as I grab a bag of coffee beans from under the counter. "Did not at all, I didn't know you hired more help."

"Well, I was afraid of it getting too swamped with work so I'm covering my bases. Since that we're in the tourist district where everyone goes shopping, I figured weekends would be the busiest before the holidays. I put postings out and got a few bites," Aqua explained as I heard her open the shop door and shouting something outside, clearing out of hearing range.

As I rummaged under the counter for the container of _Shy Chestnut_ tea leaves, I heard Aqua peek over the counter to wave me down. "Hey, I want you to meet our new part-time staff," Aqua said with a smile as I groaned, carefully getting up from the ground with my bones aching from squatting for a moment.

I turned around with a smile before I came face to face with a familiar double trouble duo. "Larxene? Marluxia?" I asked out in surprise as I saw the two of them standing there.

Marluxia was in a lilac button-down shirt with black jeans. Larxene had a racerback tank top with teal jeggings. They both seemed to have aprons tossed over their shoulder as the looks on their face were also full of surprise.

"Ah, I didn't know you worked here," Marluxia said trying to sound friendly as Larxene rolled her eyes, realizing that this wasn't what she signed up for. "I'm just helping Aqua for the holidays because she's my roommate," I explained, carefully picking my words as Aqua looked between the three of us in wonderment.

"Surprise? Sorry, I should have told you they were current members at the Museum. I figured you all get along just fine at work. We'll have an awesome team working this month," Aqua said with a sheepish grin on her face as I shook my head, realizing why she didn't tell me mostly since I could have given a biased opinion on the new hires.

"Where do you need us today, boss?" Larxene asked, turning her full attention to Aqua, completely ignoring me as the blueberry roommate decided to give the two of them instructions for the day. I turn back to my duties of getting the tea leaves steeped for the day and grinding the coffee for the morning rush.

* * *

"Thank you, have a lovely afternoon," Marluxia said with a gentle smile, swooning the gaggle of teenage girls that quickly left the cash register to find a seat in the bustling cafe atmosphere. I nodded in acknowledgment as I finished bussing tables for mugs and glassware left behind by satisfied patrons.

Larxene was working on a smaller batch of coffee due to the sun creeping over the district, meaning not many other people were going to be getting coffee at this point in the afternoon. Aqua had decided that because it slowed down for a moment to take a small breather from the front lines.

From my own interactions with Larxene and Marluxia, I was surprised that they were able to keep their cool and work under intense pressure like this.

Then again, they were both the Director and Manager of the Guest Services department for a reason. I felt a small smile rise to my face before I saw Larxene and Marluxia take a deep sigh.

"That was kind of a rough start this morning. Can't believe all those people wanted whipped cream on their chai lattes," Marluxia said crossing his arms over his chest as Larxene groaned in agreement.

"As much as I need the money, it makes me wanna puke in the corner for dealing with that many people," Larxene said shaking her hands of excess cocoa powder.

"Trying to save up for holiday shopping?" I asked as they turned to me, realizing that I was still there and working with them. Larxene turned her nose away in a huff as Marluxia shook his head at his friend's reaction.

"We're trying to. We spent too much on dining for double dates so we're kind of in the hole right now," Marluxia explained as I nodded, "How long have the two of you been together for?" Larxene and Marluxia raised an eyebrow at me before they looked at each other laughing.

"I wouldn't date this prick if he was the last person on the planet," Larxene whispered so her profanity wouldn't get picked up by any of the customers sitting nearby. Marluxia was wheezing still from the revelation as he waved his hands around, "We're not dating each other. We're just really close friends that do almost everything together."

I blinked in surprise and a blush came to my face in embarrassment as I covered my face, "Oh, I am so sorry. I thought you two were together. It's like... You both seem to really click with the other."

Larxene smirked as she crossed her arms over her chest, "I'd punish you for that back at work, but I haven't seen Marly laugh that hard in all the years I've known him."

As Marluxia's laughter died down, I cleaned the counter with a small rag I kept in my apron's pocket before Marluxia spoke up, "Unlike my blonde counterpart, I don't think it's appropriate for me to date my coworkers." I glanced at Marluxia as he took down an order for a couple of cups of tea to go as I spoke once the patrons were out of earshot, "Why's that?"

Larxene starts pouring two cups of _Foxglove Surprise_ and a cup of Royal_ Daisy _on her side of the counter, "Marluxia is what we would say is a nobleman with distinguished taste. He will date and fuck anyone with a heartbeat, but he can't commit."

Marluxia shot the blonde woman a nasty glare as I raised an eyebrow at the two of them, unsure if they're just spouting bullshit at this point or telling the truth.

"I... See. Wait, so if Marluxia dates outside of the Museum staff, who are you shacking up with then Larxene?"

Larxene froze for a second after she dropped off the cups at the end of the counter.

She let out a heavy sigh before she turned back to face us with a small goofy smile crossing her face, "It's not as grotesque as Marly's dating habits. I'm in a happy relationship with Aeleus actually. Back to your question earlier, I'm trying to get enough money to get him a suitable present this year."

_Aeleus. The gift shop manager? That's... a little unexpected_, I thought to myself as Marly whispered into my ear, "She likes the big silent type. But really, he give her the best anal so she feels like she owes him." Larxene's expression changed as she realized the look of horror crossing my face.

"Marluxia! What the fuck are you telling her, you know it's not cool to spread shit rumors like that," Larxene screeched, her voice echoing across the cafe that all the patrons and even Aqua, who had just gotten back from her break, all turn towards the front counter where the three of us were.

"Says you, you arrogant bi-" Marluxia was cut off as I cut in between the two of them in a panic trying to calm them down, "Guys! We're still at work, can you keep it down?!" Larxene and Marluxia turned to me before glaring daggers back at each other. They took a step back and went back to work with a deadly tension between the two of them.

_Well, that could have been a bigger disaster_, I thought to myself as I went back around the counter to bus tables that started to clear, realizing the uneasiness between the part-timers at the counter.

* * *

"Thank you for all your work today guys, although..." Aqua's voice started to trail off as she nervously laughed, "We didn't have the best Sunday rush but it's okay! Always a fresh start next weekend, right?"

I stood between Marluxia and Larxene as the three of us realized that the tense atmosphere really scared customers offsite after their little verbal scuffle. "I'm going to get the cash register box so we can start counting out for the night," Aqua said with a smile as she went to the stock room.

I just sighed as I pulled the wet rag from my shoulders and tossed it back into the sink. As I started to clean the counters up with residue coffee grains and tea leaves scattered across the counter, I started to sponge the countertop down until I got tapped on the shoulder.

I glanced back to see Marluxia standing over me with a curious expression on his face, "Is that a tattoo on your back?"

Realizing that the wet rag had completely soaked through my shirt, I heard the clattering of dishes stop as Larxene walked over with a semi-mocking tone in her voice, "You have a tattoo? Little Goody-Two Faced has a tattoo?"

I frowned as I shrugged, "Listen Larxene, customer service is a bitch. If you don't vent about shitty customers, you become terrible at your job. But yes, I do have a tattoo." Marluxia seemed to have jumped the gun as he started twiddling his fingers anxiously, "Can we see it?"

I raised an eyebrow before shrugging, "I don't see why not?" They took a step back as I started to take off the apron and unbuttoning my shirt. As I shifted my shirt down, I could hear small gasps of surprise as my upper back was uncovered for the tattoo to be revealed.

With the uncomfortable silence in the air, I started to speak, hoping to ease the tension. "I got this tattoo when I first came here for university. The poppy is a symbol of my hometown, so I wanted to remind myself that I came from humble beginnings in the countryside," I started to explain as I could feel Marluxia's fingers trace against the tattoo that burned clearly in my mind.

A crescent-shaped wreath made up of small poppy buds and stems with a blooming set of three red poppies sat upon the middle of the minimalist design. As I felt Marluxia's hand move away from my skin, they were soon replaced by thin fingers as I realized Larxene was still standing there.

"Doesn't this remind you of those dumb matching tattoos we got Marly?"

Marluxia chuckled as he spoke up, "Those terrible constellation tattoos on our hips? Friends no matter where we are." I glanced back to see Larxene and Marluxia sharing a sincere moment between the two of them, rekindling their friendship after this afternoon's spat like it was nothing.

_Then again, I assume they get fired up between little stuff like this all the time_, I thought to myself before I shuffled my clothes, quickly pulling my shirt back on my shoulders, making Larxene suddenly pull her hand back as she exchanged a sorrowful look between her best friend.

"I'm sorry too," Marluxia whispered to Larxene, putting a small smile to my face as I heard the whisper ring through the small airspace before Aqua came back lugging the money box with an exhausted smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Yuletide! I actually was going to post more this month, but due to the extensive hours at work, I fell behind on my upload schedule. You will definitely get a chapter today, a chapter before Christmas, and two more chapters before and on new years eve/day. :) I'm terrible at timelines OTL


	11. Thawed Heart

I stood on the trolley as I bit the tip of my pen. I was running late for work, but I wanted to start writing prompts of excuses on why I was late for Xemnas. Just because I slept in my accident seemed like a really bad answer to give him.

Thinking of Xemnas, I could feel my face starting to flare up as my brain started to trail back to the night of Xigbar's little 'game' at the club a few nights ago. The wishful thinking of working a late night at the office turning into a steamy situation...

"Why did I let that bastard talk me into _that_ scenario?" I murmured out loud while I hung onto the railing with a few other passengers who were minding their own business. I pulled my phone from my pocket, taking a few pictures of the snowy streets of Radiant Garden outside my window.

As I flicked through the photos, I felt someone shoved past me as they moved towards the door on the train. I stumbled forward, grabbing onto the back of another rider's coat before I cursed under my breath for being lighter than a sack of bricks.

I quickly pulled myself up before I bowed my head in embarrassment as I delivered an apology, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to grab your coat like that, I got shoved aside by another passenger." I heard a deep chuckle before I saw a gloved hand held out in front of me. Curious, I lifted my head and looked up to find a pair of amused amber eyes.

"You should be careful on public transit. You never know what could happen," The deep olive-toned man spoke as I stood straight as an arrow. "Xemnas! I... I... I'm sorry I'm not at work yet, I woke up late and... Wait, why am I telling you why I'm running late," I started to babble to myself as Xemnas shook his head, enjoying the messy spectacle before him.

"No matter. I planned to grab some work and take it home. I haven't been feeling well this past weekend," Xemnas explained as I slowly relaxed, realizing that Xemnas wasn't staying in the office today. All thoughts of an intimate office moment went out the window as I spoke up.

"I'm sorry to hear that sir, I hope you feel better soon," I said with a sincere smile as Xemnas straightened himself up and adjusts his wool coat. As the trolley stops at our station, he immediately bolts off, not even waiting for me to get off the trolley. I just awkwardly take my time as I step off, feeling the snow crunching under my feet as I could see Xemnas' back walking towards the museum entrance with a hurried pace.

* * *

"Hey Poppy, how's it hanging?" Marluxia calls out to me as he stands at Lea's desk with a few files in hand. I raised an eyebrow as I felt a smile cross my face, "Poppy? Is that my new nickname?" Marluxia smirked as he taps the files lightly against my shoulder, "It beats saying 'hey you' when I need your attention or help to back up the front desk. Anyways, I'll catch both of you later."

As Marluxia walked out of the office, Lea raises an eyebrow at me with a grin on his face, "Poppy? Now what, oh what, kind of trouble did you get yourself into this weekend?" I just rolled my eyes as I glanced over at the clock. Even though I followed Xemnas into the building, he was going to take a while getting the paperwork he needed together.

"It's just a nickname from the tattoo I have on my shoulder." Lea's eyes widen as he glanced behind me to look at the door Marluxia walked out of.

"Really? Mr. 'Don't date your coworkers' saw a non-public tattoo on your body?"

"Uh, yeah? Why is that a-"

I stopped myself as I saw the look on Lea's face turn into a grin as I threw my hands up. "I got my shirt dirty the other day at a temp job I'm working at. Marluxia and Larxene asked to see it," I explained feeling that even though I explained it, Lea's brain is already racking up other explanations.

"Larxene was there? Hm, I guess I could ask her for proof that this wasn't some type of broken integrity promise," Lea muttered under his breath as I took a step into the aisle, "Just because I'm the new girl, doesn't mean I'm going to be the one causing a ruckus around the museum. And I don't think _not_ dating your coworkers is quite alright."

Lea just held his hands up in defense as he turned around in his swivel chair to take a phone call rattling off the hook. I made a few steps back towards my Department office before I see Xigbar coming towards me with a few files in hand. "Ah, morning sunshine! Thought the hangover put you into a coma," Xigbar said with a smug grin as I snorted.

"Whatever keeps your brain worried about me I guess," I said amused as I trotted past him. Xigbar swatted my ass with the files he had on hand as he spoke, "I'll be out most of today with donors. Talk to you later babe." I just froze as I stood there feeling the heat rushing back to my face.

_Did he really just do that in front of..._ I turned my attention to Lea's desk, seeing that he was busy with the phone call and writing some notes down from the potential client.

"Goddammit Xigbar," I grumbled under my breath, about to make my way back to the office before I get barreled over, papers going everywhere. "Son of a bitch!" I snapped, already done with today's antics before I found myself looking up at a troubled Xemnas as he was knelt down, his glasses hanging off the tip of his nose.

"Terribly sorry about that," Xemnas said with a small amount of embarrassment flashing onto his face as I saw tons of paper and Xemnas' bag scattered on the floor between the two of us. I slowly started to pick up his belongings as I spoke in a softer tone, "It's okay, I wasn't watching where I was looking."

As we both slowly got to our feet, I handed Xemnas all the documents that he dropped as he gave a brief thanks. We both stood there awkwardly for a second before Xemnas forced a small cough from his throat before speaking up with that deep accent of his.

"I'll be keeping the team updated over email about the projects we have to finish this week," He explained as I found my gaze drift from his face to the rest of his body. Even though he was wearing a heavy jacket, he looked like the type of man you could cook eggs on his abs because of how much heat radiates off of him...

"Did you get all of that?" My thoughts were snapped to Xemnas' face as he returned to a calm expressionless one as I nodded furiously, not wanting him to realize I wasn't paying attention. "Perfect, have a good rest of your week," Xemnas said before he stepped past me and exiting the administration offices.

As I stood there, feeling my heart sinking into my chest. I finally managed to walk towards the Historical Documentation office moments later, not uttering another word to the others as they greeted me.

* * *

"Hey, are you doing okay?" Vanitas asks me as we walk out of the museum gift shop with lunches in hand as I walked next to him absentmindedly. I just shrugged before Vanitas puts a hand on my shoulder and stops me.

"Alright Pops, what's going on. You've been acting weird. Did Xigbar do anything when you guys went clubbing last week?" Vanitas asked with a concerned look on his face. I blinked for a moment before I wrinkled my nose, "Did you just call me Pops?"

Vanitas looked at me blankly before erupting with laughter. "That's what you got out of that sentence? Oh man Pops," Vanitas asked again as I rolled my eyes, feeling a little restless.

It's Thursday afternoon and it's been a few days since I saw Xemnas. He has been writing blunt emails to the rest of the team and relaying my tasks through their emails like a carrier pigeon. Now it's just fucking infuriating that he hasn't written a direct email to me about work after three days.

"Can you keep a secret?"

I regret asking as I could see the look of confusion turn into a smug look on Vanitas' face. "My Pops got a secret to tell me and only me? Oh boy, am I the luckiest guy in the world!" Vanitas said in a sarcastic tone as I knocked his lunch onto the ground.

As the sandwich tumbled to the ground, he cast an icy glare at me before I held my food out to him. Vanitas snatched the food out of my hand, "That was not cool dude."

I picked up Vanitas' abandoned lunch, dropping it into the trash can as we slowly made our way through the gallery. As we walked and Vanitas ate, I explained what happened between Xemnas and me during the donor tour.

I explained that Xemnas came onto me and he had avoided me on Monday even though he told us that he was sick. I started to ramble on about the rest of the weekend I had, and saw Vanitas getting bored once I began talking about my shift with Marluxia and Larxene.

"As much as I want to tell you to go to Xion's office, why are you trusting me with this information?" Vanitas asked as he handed me his garbage as I crumpled it up in my hands. I pondered on the thought before I turned to him with a weak smile, "Because you're my friend?"

The look on Vanitas' face went from complete boredom to ecstatic surprise as he laughed, "I rather go with being a _better_ friend than Kairi." He glanced at his phone for a second before sighing, "We went a little over on lunch today, we should head back to the office."

I shook my head and stretched my arms over my head, "Don't worry about it. I plan on working late tonight anyway, so I'm taking a longer lunch today to decompress." Vanitas shrugged as he stopped walking with me. "Did you want me to tell Kairi or...?"

The look on my face said it all.

Vanitas held his hands up as he pulled a zipper over his mouth. "Lips are sealed. I'll see you later Pops." I tossed the trash at his face which he ended up catching before I barked, "Don't call me Pops!"

After Vanitas left, I kept walking down the corridors of the museum admiring the artwork and documentation on display. I let out a deep sigh with an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

_I thought I would feel better after talking about my issues. But why does it still feel heavy on my heart_, I thought to myself with a frown before I found myself at the end of the corridor where the garden was hiding in plain sight behind the locked door.

I slowly felt pulled to the massive door, running my fingers along its gated entrance, the cool texture of sculpted bronze sweeping all my unease away. I pressed my forehead against the door, feeling the cool temperature was nice to the touch.

_I really should get back to work..._ I started to lift my head off the door, pushing myself slowly off before realizing that the door was pushing outwards. I glanced around in surprise as I felt the urge of panic seep into my brain.

_The door is unlocked? But who in the world..._

I felt my brain click everything in place as I shoved the door further, leaving enough space for me to slip in and out of the building. As I slipped through the other side, I found myself standing on the stairwell leading down to the gardens.

Even though the snow was falling, everything was heavily blanketed in snow at this point. I glanced to the ground before noticing a pair of footprints going down the stairs and towards the hedge labyrinth. Taking a deep breath, I walked down the snow-covered stairs and entering the winter wonderland.

My gaze looked down at the ground as I followed the footprints before me. I started to rub my arms feverishly as I realized it was getting colder by the second, and wearing a button-up blouse with slacks was not going to keep the cold out. As I walked down the path, I realized where this path was taking me as I followed the trail.

I picked up the pace to a light jog as I continued further into the garden maze. I finally stopped when I saw the trail open up to the heart of the labyrinth, as the footprints trail up to the path until they stop at the man's feet as he looked over the garden from the gazebo.

I started to slowly step forward towards the gentleman with the unruly silver mane as I heard his deep voice echo throughout the area as I walked forward.

"How did you know that _I_ was going going to be here?"

Xemnas's question reached my ears as I stepped under the gazebo, dusting the snow from my head and shoulders.

"I didn't. But I had a feeling you'd be the only one to come here during the weekdays, even after claiming to be sick," I said with a little bit of harshness in my tone. Xemnas turned around and looked down at me for a second before he shrugged his heavy jacket off of his shoulders.

He stepped forward, pulling the coat over my small frame and buttoning up the coat. "I'm surprised you came out on a whim. Although you might regret it," He said with a serious tone in his voice as I gazed up at his face, trying to figure out what he was feeling.

Instead, I was up against a solid wall with no emotion. He let go of the coat once it seemed to cover me efficiently before turning away. I glanced to see an empty cup from _The Secret Daisy_ at his feet, resting on the snowy marble floor.

I took a deep breathe before I stepped forward and leaned my back against the railing, facing away from the fountain and frozen landscape. "Xemnas, are you avoiding me?" I asked at point-blank as Xemnas glanced over at me for a moment before averting his gaze back to the fountain.

Xemnas stayed silent as I pulled myself off the railing and taking a step forward to jab a finger into his chest, "You've been giving everyone else work projects in direct emails but you avoid me."

Xemnas raised an eyebrow in surprise as I continued on, "It feels like ever since we spoke, you are avoiding more responsibility and just trying to save face. Xemnas, do you think I'm going to pull the rug out and tell Xion about your little flirting attempt the other day?" Xemnas stayed silent before I dropped my hand and looked up at him with frustration behind my eyes.

"Xemnas..." I started to say in a warning tone before Xemnas looked down at me, pushing me back until I was confined between his arms on either side of me as I leaned against the gazebo railing. I could see the expression on his face darkened as a storm of sorrow filled to the brim beneath his eyes.

"There is a reason that people have been tiptoeing around me these past few years. You probably heard parts of the story from the other staff members, but there is a reason why we try to discourage workplace relationships. Mostly with those of higher power, so to speak," Xemnas started as his gaze strayed from my face to the rest of my figure for any signs of body language.

After a moment of silence, he started to speak again, carefully choosing his words as his voice was filled with toxicity. "We all have different types of relationships around the office. I was committed to an individual who tried to take everything from me and make me a prisoner to her demands. Gaslighting and blackmail was her favorite course of action." I could see Xemnas' body starting to tense as he gripped the railings on either side of me, completely trapping me.

"Her actions were so dramatic that I had to take the fall because I couldn't stand to lose her. When she realized that I wouldn't fully submit, she left me after damaging my reputation with my coworkers and the museum. Only a few of them, including Mr. Rian himself, know the true extent of what really happened."

I stood there quietly before Xemnas snapped his attention back towards me, his gaze softens as the snow drifted in the air around us, "You... Remind me of her but in a very different light. You help your coworkers, you have graciously embedded yourself into our odd community of museum staff and have been completely honest in that regard."

I felt a lump growing in my throat as Xemnas took a step back, dropping his hands to his side. I grabbed his left hand, tenderly squeezing his cold hand between my fingers as I looked up at him.

"Xemnas, I definitely don't want to be that type of person. I don't want to hurt you or anyone else for that matter. I just started a few months ago and you drop this fucking bombshell on me," I said as I let go of his hand to throw my hands into the air in frustration. I heard Xemnas chuckle as I looked up at his face with a burning fire beneath my eyes before I jabbed my finger where his heart is.

"I now get why you were considering quitting your position, thinking you were going to get wrapped up in another woman's clutches. But there are more kind-hearted people in your life than you know. It's time to stop living in the past," I snapped as Xemnas grabbed my wrist and holding my hand in front of him. We stood there in silence before Xemnas let out a deep sigh.

"I... I buried myself in work until it completely consumed me. But then, you started working here and I had to make sure you were trained properly and take care of you as an employee in my department. I think this is something I really needed to hear," Xemnas started to speak as he leaned down and planted a kiss on my knuckles.

I felt the heat slowly rise to my cheeks, even standing out in the blistering cold air for who knows how long as Xemnas gazed down at me with a warm and golden look in his amber eyes. "Thank you for not judging your lousy boss," Xemnas started to say as I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say. I don't mean to be abrupt, but can we go back inside? I think my legs need to be amputated from the sheer cold and covered by workers comp," I grumbled as I pulled my hand away from his grasp as he nodded, taking a step to the side and gesturing with his hand back down the path I came from.

As I took a step forward, Xemnas placed a hand on my shoulder, stopping immediately. I raised an eyebrow at him in annoyance before I opened my mouth.

"What is it n-"

I felt Xemnas' hands moving up to cup the sides of my face before he leaned down for a firm yet tender kiss. My eyes widened for a second before they fluttered closed for a second, trying to make sure this wasn't the hypothermia getting to me.

I grabbed onto Xemnas' forearm, feeling the little warmth from his muscles beneath my hands before he pulled away after what felt like an eternity. Xemnas had a smirk on his face before he whispered into my ear, sending chills down my spine.

"I can't wait to see what you have in store for me, Ms. Poppy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays y'all! We don't get snow where we live out here, so it's always hard to write winter scenes for sure. Write any comments on what you will be doing this holiday season and I hope you all the best!!


	12. Hearth & Home

Aqua sighed as she pulled the thermometer from my mouth, glancing at the blinking numbers listed on the little device. She looked at me and shook her head, "Looks like you are staying home. I don't even know how you managed to get sick, but I guess you weren't acting yourself last night."

I just sat on the couch with plenty of blankets wrapped around my shoulders as I groaned in frustration. "But Aquaaaa, I have work today! If I go in one day, I can make it to the weekend, and rest up," I started to say trying to slowly get up from the couch before she pushed my shoulders, making me crumple back on the couch immediately.

Aqua just shook her head before she pulled the blankets tighter around my shoulders until I looked properly bundled. "You are going to fall face first in the snow if you leave in this condition. Just tell your coworkers that you're sick and be back next week."

I opened my mouth, about to protest but I just closed my eyes in a drooped manner. "It's fine... I'll be fine," I whimpered as I slowly raised my hand up to my face feeling how gross my hair felt. My roommate just laughed before patting my head, "Go take a bath and get comfy back here on the couch. I'll whip you up some tea before I leave for work."

I just looked up her with glossy eyes before nodding.

After a long soak in the tub, I pulled my soaking hair into a hairband to keep my flannel pajamas nice and dry. As I slide in my fuzzy socks against the wooden floors our of small apartment, I realized that I was alone.

_I guess Aqua left already_, I thought to myself as I saw a cup of steaming hot tea on the small kitchen counter with my name written on a sticky note by it. I smiled seeing Aqua tried to draw a cute bunny but it looked absolutely horrendous.

I took the ceramic mug into my hands and made my way back to the blanket fort Aqua had spread across the couch. I peeled layer by layer of the heavy blankets off before I slid between the sheets and pulled all the blankets to my chest. I snuggled further to get warm before I heard a small ringing noise.

I glanced around before I saw my phone blinking off the hook on the coffee table. I leaned forward and sighed as I saw the text notifications blowing up my phone.

**Kairi: Hey, are you doing okay? Just making sure you're coming in today!**

**Kairi: I wasn't sure if it has anything to do with you coming back super late from your break yesterday, but it's okay! We all have weird days.**

**Kairi: Just send us a smoke signal if you see these LOL**

I snorted at the last message before I typed a quick message to reply,

_ **Sorry about that, I came down with a cold. Can you tell the guys to pick up where I left off yesterday? Think I'll be out a few days to recover.** _

As I hit send, I rested the phone on my chest before slowly closing my eyes. I heard my phone buzzing violently as I peaked at the screen.

**Kairi: Okay, feel better soon! I told the guys and the big boss to email you if they have questions and to let you rest.**

I rolled my eyes before I send another message back,

_ **Kairi, it's fine. It's just a cold, not the black plague. I can handle t** _

My phone had another message pop up just before I could finish my text. I realized it was a group text chain.

**Xemnas: Kairi told me you're feeling unwell. Are you all alright?**

**Xigbar: I'll be on my way over.**

**Xemnas: Xigbar, you're already running late and I can see you outside the Administration office doors. Get your ass to work.**

**Vanitas: Hey guys, Kairi is telling me to send angry emojis but I don't have any good ones that surpass a middle finger.**

**Xigbar: Can't hear you over my heavy breagl;sdjpiwe JFIW**

**Vanitas: The fuck Xigbar?**

**Xemnas: Xigbar is not going to be tending to Mrs Poppy. I asked Dilan to take care of him, walkies FTW**

**Vanitas: That deserves a high five. Anyways Poppy, you still there?**

I just looked at the messages as they came in and just put my phone down. _I should take this day as a blessing in disguise after what happened yesterday_, I thought to myself as I lied back and grabbed my cow plush to snuggle up for a power nap.

* * *

When I slowly opened my eyes and slowly adjusted my body so I wasn't laying in the worst position on this seemly cramped couch. I fumbled and shook my blankets until I heard something fall onto the ground. I leaned down and swiped my phone off the floor, seeing that I had a few text messages and some email notifications pop up on my home screen.

I sighed as I looked through the texts to see that a few other people among the other departments were asking if I needed anything to get dropped off at my place. I just laughed and replied to those messages quickly by saying that I'm perfectly okay and not dying.

As the last text went through, I felt a small twinge of curiosity perk my interest as I saw an email from Xemnas. Now, I wouldn't mind since my boss could be asking for some explanations on a project I was working on, but it came from a personal email account.

> _Before you say anything, you're not fired and this isn't a confession love letter. Now that is out of the way, I wanted to say that I hope you are feeling better. <strike>I hope that what happened yesterday is not the reason you are avoiding work today, but after getting Kairi to text you,</strike> I realize that you're ill because of you coming to find me yesterday not properly dressed for the cold weather. _
> 
> _I should have send you home right away to get changed or take the day off. <strike>I think that</strike>_
> 
> _ <strike>I enjoyed being able to </strike> _
> 
> _The reason that I decided to send you an email from my personal account is because I didn't want there to be a record on museum records. Just in case there was a <strike>hacker like our former employees who tried to get access to our accounts </strike>_
> 
> _<strike>Some issues with </strike>Nevermind me, I'm just precautious._
> 
> _Would you like to meet outside of work for non-work related conversation? I think it would be nice to go <strike>out to dinner for some candlelight</strike> get coffee <strike>and being able to learn more about each </strike>_
> 
> _I will be out for the holiday season for the next few weeks and won't be back until the New Year's Gala held at the Museum. We can make arrangements for after the new year._
> 
> ** _Xemnas_ **

I just looked at the email and raised an eyebrow as I held my phone in my hands. I swiped away from the email before I paused my thumb over Xemnas' contact information. I decided to tap on his contact and held the phone to my ear. I held my breath as I heard the phone ringing. I jumped out of my skin as I heard a loud knuckle-rapping knock on the front door to the apartment.

"Fucking A, wonder if Aqua ordered a package," I mumbled under my breath as I hung up the phone call as Xemnas hadn't picked up yet. I wrapped a few blankets around my shoulder before I walked over to the door, opening the door to take a peek.

"Ah, h-hello! I didn't think you would be awake. I figured I would just leave it on the doorstep and be on my way..." Terra said with a bright blush of embarrassment on his face as he was halfway down the hallway as I glanced down to see a gift basket with an assortment of fruit and crackers all wrapped nicely with a big bow.

I opened the door wider as I smiled half-heartedly before crouching down to the basket. Terra slowly walked back over as I glanced up with a twinkle from my eye, "Is this a normal 'get well soon' basket for all sick employees?" Terra sighed as he shook his head, dusting the snow off of his shoulders, "Xigbar asked me to make an errand for him. I don't know what that creep had in mind but I guess it wasn't all bad doing this for him."

"Ah, I know you just got here and probably have to run back to the museum," I started to say as I trailed my fingers along the fringe of the blanket, "But would you mind bringing the basket into the apartment? I think my roommate would like this more but I don't wanna germ it up."

I felt the rose-tipped blush cross his face again as he stood there stunned before he slowly softened up. "Y-yeah, sure thing. I wouldn't mind it," He said with a gentle smile land on his lips as he kneeled down to scoop of the wicker basket as he followed me back into the apartment.

He followed me to the kitchen and placed the basket down on the counter by the coffee grinder. He smiled as he clapped his hands like he carried a load of lumber around, "That should do it." I smiled as I rubbed the blanket on my shoulders, "Thanks Terra. Sorry for making you come in to do this."

"It's not a problem really," Terra said with a bashful smile as I started heading back towards the front door to let him out. I suddenly felt myself getting shoved as I heard Terra's feet scramble with heavy thuds coming from behind me. 

Terra placed his arms on both sides of me as I leaned back against the wall in the hallway. "S-sorry! I caught my foot on the carpet," Terra babbled with embarrassment as I glanced to the side to see the small carpet was kicked up like Terra was trying to spring down the hallway with full force.

I just snorted and pulled the blanket to my face as I tried to contain my blush with how close he was towering over me. "It's okay, but man you are clumsy as hell. How do you not break sculptures or displays at the museum?" I asked as I looked up at his darkening blue eyes as a smile crossed his face as he dropped one hand to his side as the other hand slide up to rest right beside my head.

"Oh come on, at least have some faith in me. I'm a promising adult in the world, even if I'm clumsy around you."

I blinked.

"I m-mean, I was serious about what I said back when we were stuck in the archives closet a while back," Terra whispered for a second as I feel my brain racing a million miles a second as I realized what he was referring you.

I could feel the temperature rising to my head like the heat was ignited by the sun as I looked from his eyes to his lips.

"You mean when you were whispering and passed out on top of me?" I asked as Terra leaned his head down as I could see the color tint change on his caramel toned skin, "Well I did get a massive bump trying to catch you after your attempt to escape. Would it have been better if I said something just as..."

I noticed Terra paused for a second as I could feel the hot breath exhaling from his nose brush against my face before he muttered, "...S-said something just as horrible or sleazy like Xigbar or Luxord?" I felt myself take a pause as I felt Terra shifting his weight uneasily until he removed his hand from the wall next to my head.

"Erm, I should probably go back to work..." Terra's voice started to drift down to my ears as he started to head back to the door. I suddenly shifted from my feet as I took a few steps towards him, "Hey, Terra? I, uhm..." I started to take a few steps before I stumbled, feeling the world suddenly spinning around me.

I felt a pair of strong hands catch me before I fell, making me look up to see Terra's face centimeters away from my face, the tip of his nose barely brushing against mine. The look I could see on Terra's face as I pulled back was of immediate concern. "Are you alright?" He asked as I saw the world was starting to slowly spin again.

"No, things are spinning. Can... Can you stay here until my roommate comes home? I'm a little worried being alone by myself today," I said, making a mental note of Terra's cute expression as it went from one of concern to one of hidden panic across his beat red face.

"I... Uh... Sure, let me let my department know I'm taking the rest of the day off," Terra said as he slowly helped me from the floor and help guide me to the blanket fort I had left behind on the couch. I nodded as I yawned peeling the blankets back before I got all tucked in my Terra, "If you're really worried about what I'll think about you..."

Terra raised his eyebrow as I fluttered my eyes close with a smile, "Just be you. Don't copy those flirting antics from Xigbar and Luxord, you're too soft for..." Terra held his breath wanting to know what I was going to finish saying but I already dozed off.


	13. The Crystal Ball Drop

"I can't believe it's New Year's Eve in a week! I'm so fucking ready!" Kairi groaned as she lied down on the couch in the dressing room at La Invi Boutique. I sat next to her with my bag in hand as I raised my hand nervously, "I mean, I'm excited for New Years too like the next person, but... Why are we at this boutique with the rest of the Museum gals?"

The both of us glanced at the curtain that opened before us as Namine and Xion come out in matching black and white cocktail dresses. "Wait, you didn't tell her yet Kairi?" Namine asked with wide eyes full of terror as Kairi finished downing her glass of water.

Kairi put her glass down and laughed nervously, "Oh... Right, I guess I did say 'Hey Poppy, wanna go shopping? It's a surprise!' and then I literally dragged her from work to come here." "Cheeeeeeesus Kairi," Xion groaned as she flexed her hand at the red head's direction like she wanted to shake some sense into her.

"Would someone like to fill me in or are we going to a bachelor party for Lea because he has no girlfriends to hang with?" I asked in a joking manner before I felt dresses slung over my shoulder with the hangers still attached.

"Good news or Bad news first?" Larxene asked as she stood behind the couch as I leaned back to look up at her mischievous smile, "Good news I guess."

"Well, the good news is that we are almost at the end of the year which means it's time for the Annual Crystal Ball gala," Larxene started to speak as she shoved me to the side to squeeze onto the couch to pick through the dresses she draped over me.

"The Crystal Ball... Gala?" I asked as Kairi sat up and looked at me with a sparkly gleam in her eyes, "It's kind of like the biggest and most badass party the Museum throws every New Years Eve. We use it as a way to impress the donors and all local families on what accomplishments we made this year in regard to our research as well as maintaining the history behind Radiant Gardens."

I glanced between the girls as Xion and Namine went back into the dressing room stalls to change into other outfits, "So, is it like the best thing since sliced bread or is it just hyped up."

"Believe me Poppy, I wouldn't fall for this mumbo jumbo if I was an outsider, but this is like the best party we have all year round. All the most delicate catered food, the overflowing bottles of alcohol at every table, and all the men come out from all over the area, dressed to the nines..." Larxene placed her head in her hands like she could imagine the party already.

"It's a beautiful event and we all get to partake in it like all of the other guests!" I could hear Xion's voice from the other side of the curtain as I placed my finger to my lips very curious to see how an event like this gets run in such a massive space.

"Well, if that's the good news, what's the bad news?" I asked as Kairi leaned against my shoulder pretending to cry, "We have to attend it because all of us work the event." I paused for a moment before Larxene groaned, "I mean, we can try to sneak a few drinks and appetizers, but we gotta be on the watch for Isa since he'll be on our asses if we screw up the event."

"So, we can still have fun, but we can't lose donors because of inappropriate behavior?" I asked, carefully choosing my words carefully as Namine pulled the curtain open from her stall to reveal a light teal evening gown that layered loose ruffles at the knees.

"More or less. I think Isa is worried that more of the couples will be trying to hook up throughout the museum than actually work," Namine said with a light-hearted giggle as she pointed to the dress, waiting for our approval.

Larxene and Kairi gave a thumbs down as I just shrugged, unsure if it was supposed to fit that way. Namine sighed as she yanked the curtain closed to try another dress.

"I mean... If that was the case, I feel pretty bad for Lea then if his man doesn't even wanna break the rules for him," Kairi said twirling her fingers through her hair as I yawned.

"I mean, the only real reason that we have weird rules in place is because of the superstition related to New Years at this Gala," Larxene said as she sipped a champagne flute sitting on the side table next to her.

"Oh great, does it involve ghosts putting dicks in women before all the living men can?" I rolled my eyes as Larxene almost shot liquid out of her nose from laughter.

"No, not ghosts. It's more like a good luck charm type thing. It's been said that if people kiss on New Years when the clock strikes midnight, they will find each other more intertwined with each other that year," Kairi explained as Xion opened the curtain with a thumbs up in a red evening gown that was way too long for her.

"That sounds just as weird as the myth about the star-shaped fruit found on tropical islands," I said with a jaded look on my face as I placed my head in my hands before Larxene gave Xion a thumbs up in approval.

"It sounds like the single lady doesn't believe in fairy tales," Kairi said as she gently pat my head. I scowled as I looked up at my coworkers, "What? I believe in fairy tales like the next child, but I'm not the only single lady at the museum... Right?"

"Sorry Poppy, but you totally are. Larxene has Aeleus around her finger, I got my Demmy-kins..." Kairi started to count off on her fingers as Namine opened the curtain to reveal a baby blue lace dress with a high-low skirt, "Don't forget me and Xion!"

"Oh right, I forget you two are an item, you usually don't bring up your relationship up at work," Larxene said crossing her legs over each other as Xion and Namine looked at each other blushing.

"Well... Shit, I guess I am the only single woman," I said in surprise as Kairi grinned, "Hey, don't worry about it! Maybe you'll find a hot date to go with you to the gala, or you can find a sexy donor to sweep you off your feet with all the money in his bank."

"Sounds like your heaven, not mine. I might as well try to look nice so I don't scare the donors away with my bipolar attitude," I said as I stood up from the couch as I glanced among the wall to see dresses on display. My head stops as I see a particular dress in a photograph on the wall.

"Can someone get me the saleslady? I want to ask her about this one," I said as I took a step forward, pointing to one of the frames hanging on the wall between the dressing rooms.

"Oh, Poppy is impulsive! I kind of like that in a shopper," Kairi squealed as Larxene smirked before shouting from her seat for an attendant to come on over.

* * *

"I'm so glad that we're the only women in the entire museum. It means that the bathroom is all ours while we finish getting ready," Larxene said with a smirk as I could see her glance back at me as I sat on a small folding chair in the middle of the women's restroom.

"Agreed," Kairi said as she gestured her fingers upwards, beckoning me as I followed her movement as she painted my lips with lip gloss.

"How come Xion and Namine aren't getting ready with us?" I asked as Larxene leaned over the sink to put mascara on, "They already got ready earlier because they had to go man the table at the front. You know, checking invites, giving directions, the usual stuff. They should be done soon so they can see if Kairi's work needs to be fixed."

Kairi took a step away from me as she glared into the back of Larxene's head, "Hey, I did your make up bad for one day and you keep shitting on my improving skills!" Larxene just smirked as she side glanced to see the process made to my face.

She wolf-whistled as she started putting on electric blue lipstick, "You look pretty great Poppy. I didn't even know you had freckles!"

I felt my cheeks get warm as Kairi smiled in triumph that Larxene didn't bash her again, "I did just a little bit of powder and makeup so far, but she kind of needed a natural touch because Poppy's whole vibe is nothing but natural."

"Should I be happy about that or nervous?" I asked looking up at the redhead as she shrugged, "I think you look pretty all the time when you normally come in without makeup. You're going to make those men cum in seconds once they see you."

I felt the image of Xemnas dropping his drink and having to excuse himself to the restrooms burn into my brain and cause me to crack up in laughter. "What a metaphor Miss Documentation gal," Larxene said rolling her eyes as Kairi gave a thumbs up with no shame.

"I'm just about done, let's do your hair and then we're ready to start working," Kairi said as she placed all of her makeup into her purse before she moved behind me twisting my hair to create a loose fishtail braid.

The restroom door opened as Xion, Namine, and Lea peeked in. "Kairi, Larxene, Poppy! You guys ready? We are already falling behind on schedule and we need back up around the museum to cater to donors," Xion asked as they glanced over to see Larxene slicking her hair back.

"Ready to kick their ass tonight, how about you Poppy?" Larxene asked with a fierce grin as everyone's attention turned to me. I could see Xion and Namine gasp loudly before they squealed clasping each other's hands while Lea just stood by with a surprised look on his face like I grew a second head.

"Is it bad? Did we overdo it?" I asked, having the sudden rush of panic hit me in the gut before they all shook their head. "You... Look great!" Xion said with Namine agreeing next to her.

I turned my attention to Lea, who just shrugged and glanced away scratching his head, "I... I'm no expert in women's fashion, but you are going to wipe the floor tonight with all the men out there. Believe me, you're out of their class like this."

I felt a bubble of relief hug my chest tightly as I stood up from the chair and stepped forward with my ankle-strap heels clicking across the tiled floor. I glanced to my side to catch my reflection in the mirror, stunned by the person in the mirror. I realized that it was me.

Kairi had brushed a glittery blue eyeshadow among my eyelid making my eyes look full of light while my hair was draped over my shoulder like I was a wildflower who found themselves lost at the gala. As the dress clung to my body and swayed with light movement, I felt pretty and confident in myself. What did bother me is that I didn't feel like myself all dressed up.

I turned to everyone there and grinned, "We got a gala to party up in. Let's get going!" Everyone rushed out of the bathroom to head quickly back to the administration offices to put our stuff away. Lea said that he would direct Xion and Namine to the next area that needed tending to before picking us up for work duties.

Larxene made a beeline for Marluxia's office to store her items for the night while Kairi and I headed to our department's office. We could see light through the bottom of the door, making us curious before Kairi knocked on the door before opening it up.

"-Can't be serious Xemnas. We didn't even prompt her for this event!" Xigbar said with panic in his voice as Xemnas leaned against his desk with a three-piece suit on. Kairi cleared her throat first to catch their attention as we stood in the doorway.

Their gaze turned towards up as the fierce attitude dropped as we entered the room.

"Hey Xemnas, Xigbar. We wanted to make sure we're not interrupting anything important right now. Just dropping off our stuff before we go work the floor," Kairi said as we held out purses in front of us as they shook their head.

"No worries Kairi, we're just finishing up our discussion actually. I need to go find Isa, so excuse me, ladies," Xigbar said with a forced smile crossing his face as he walked past both of us. "And by the way, you look absolutely ravishing tonight," Xigbar quietly whispered into my ear as he passed and left the office.

Xemnas frowned as he saw how beet red my face was as I started putting my stuff down at my desk. "Before you leave Miss Poppy, may I have a word with you?" Xemnas said in a stoic manner as I raised an eyebrow, looking back at Kairi.

"Don't worry, I got my radio if you need to find me or Lea," Kairi said with a wink as she clasped her dark pink radio in hand as she exited the office. I turned to Xemnas and I fidgeted, realizing that we haven't been alone since that day out in the gardens when I confronted Xemnas.

"Is something that matter Xemnas?" I asked trying to cast my gaze to the floor, unsure how I could make eye contact with him after our last interaction. Hell, I didn't even respond to his email asking me out for coffee!

"I have an assignment for you tonight, I'm terribly sorry it's last-minute but I trust that you can do it perfectly," Xemnas said as he leaned off the desk and stepped towards me. I nodded as I shifted my gaze to find myself looking up at his firey amber eyes, "How last minute are we talking?"

"The type of last-minute assignment that you need to make the opening speech to the donors before the gala kicks off."

"...You have to be kidding, right Xemnas?"

The look on his face said everything.

I took a deep breath before putting a fist to my mouth, lightly biting down on it before pointing an index finger up at him, "I can... I think I can manage that, just give me a concept to follow and I'll make it work."

The smile that raised to his lips made my heart pound against my head as he nodded, "I would appreciate it. Ansem usually does the speech, but he's running behind in traffic with our Board Members. They'll be arriving much later than expected tonight."

"How much time do we have until I have to talk then?" I asked as Xemnas followed me outside of the Historical Documentation department office. Xemnas glanced at his watch before he spoke in a calm down, "About twenty minutes."

"...Xemnassss," I groaned feeling my anxiety starting to slowly rise into a panicked state as I started to speed walk through the Administration office. Xemnas seemed quiet amused as he followed behind and guide me to the main floor.

* * *

I took a deep breath, standing off to the side with Xemnas and his phone out, writing out my ramblings from the last eighteen minutes trying to come up with a plan.

"I can do this, I can do this..." I started to whisper to myself before I felt Xemnas place a hand on my shoulder, trying to calm me down. I almost leaped out of my skin from his warm touch, but found it grounding me to the reality around me.

"I've seen how you handle yourself around all types of people in our Organization. I believe that you can pull this off," Xemnas whispered into my ear as I almost leaned against him for comfort, catching myself at the last minute and hugged my arms around my chest tightly for a reassuring hug.

I glanced up at my silver-haired boss before a smile flickered across my face, "Thank you Xemnas." He nodded as he bent down and planted a small kiss on the top of my head as he mumbled 'good luck' under his breath.

"Now, I would like to bring out our newest addition to Radiant Gardens' family as she has made great strides since her arrival. Please give it up for Miss Poppy," I heard Xigbar's voice booming over the sound system, making me look up and realize that Xigbar was coming down the stage and offering his hand to me.

I smiled warmly as I grasped his hand and was helped up the small staircase to the stage as a roaring applause echoed throughout the main lobby. "Knock 'em, dead sweetheart," Xigbar whispered to me while his hand brushed down to my lower back as I stepped up to the podium.

I waved for a second to the crowd as they started to die down their applause waiting for my speech. I cleared my throat as I could see all of my coworker's faces throughout the crowded room, some of them still cheering more than others as they waited in anticipation.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 65th Crystal Ball held in our wonderful Historical Museum. We are so grateful for all of you being able to make it tonight on this cold New Years' Eve," I started my speech off as I could see Lea in the corner of the room giving a thumbs up that the audio feedback was getting through.

"This year's theme brings us back to a time where many centuries ago, we have five distinct leaders working together for the betterment of the people. They were community leaders that strived for greatness and wanted the best for their people. We would like to welcome all of you to join us tonight- as our own community who strive to help us understand and preserve our history in these walls. Tonight will also be the grand reveal of our new exhibit related to this majestic history of our forefathers."

The waves of the crowd were bustling with energy as I wrapped up, "Please explore our facility, and we will ring in the new year as a whole. Let the gala commence!" The crowd erupted with applause as they cheered, ready to see what the museum had to offer on this wondrous night.

As the crowds started to disperse with museum staff guiding people with poise, Xigbar leaned down and whispered as he wrapped his hand around my waist, "Gotta hand it to you, but you fucking rocked."

I blushed due to the close contact as I nodded, "Thank you Xigbar. I wish I was better prepared." He snorted as we carefully made our way off of the stage, my eyes resting on Xemnas' face as his eyes flickered with passion.

He held his hand out as I grabbed his hand as I walked down the steps. "That was a beautiful opening, in all my years working here. Well done Poppy," Xemnas said as I felt a massive grin slap its way onto my face.

"You took the words right out of my mouth Xemnas!" The three of us turned our attention to Ansem as he came forward, beaming with pride as he was dressed in a light cream-colored suit with his signature red scarf wrapped around his shoulders. The three of us bowed in the smallest manner to our Executive Director before my eye caught a glance of the three men standing behind him.

"When did you get in sir?" Xigbar asked, a little annoyed that we had to pull a speaker last minute as Ansem's chest bellowed with laughter, "We just made it at the beginning of the speech. Now, Miss Poppy, I presume? I wanted you to meet our Board Members at least once before you get whisked away to other duties. Gentlemen?"

As he turned to face the men standing behind him, I was able to take in their appearances in for a brief second, realizing that they were full of character. The first one that stepped forward was a black-haired gentleman with salt and pepper hair with a mustache and soul patch to match.

He bowed for a moment as the wrinkles around his eyes creased with his smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Eraqus York. My comrades are Xehanort Covett and Yen Sid."

I glanced over his shoulder to see two distinct bald men, one shorter than the other by a foot at least. The shorter one had ebony skin with a small grey goatee as he was dressed in a black trench coat worn over his two-piece suit. He nodded as he glanced at the moving sea of people behind him, "You know how to make a crowd excited about tonight's gala Miss."

I nodded in acknowledgment as the taller man looked down at me as his long beard covered most of his chest as he stood there in a blue suit. "Thank you for standing in for Ansem for the grand opening, we were not sure how far along we were going to be behind," The man spoke as he closed his weary eyes, making me wonder if the drive through the snow took a lot of energy out of them.

"Now that introductions are out of the way, we will not stop you from enjoying the rest of your evening. I do have some manners to catch up with Xigbar and Xemnas, if you don't mind," Ansem said as I bowed again without a word before I took my leave to find other coworkers.

* * *

"I'm so screwed."

I moped for a moment as I glanced down the elongated table sitting against the wall. Ienzo took a step towards me as he smiled, "Not one for festive decor?" I shook my head and sighed, "It's not that! I just didn't expect this to turn into a masquerade-themed gala. It's going to be so much harder to tell donors and guests apart!"

Ienzo glanced down at the line of animal-themed masks sitting in front of us as he sighed, "You're not wrong there, but at least we only have five types of animal masks that people will be wearing tonight. For staff though, we can decide to wear them or not, just so the donors know we work for the museum."

"I think most of us plan to not wear masks until the last hour so we can blend in and party," Terra said as he walked over with a radio clasped to his belt. I could feel myself starting to blush as he was wearing a simple suit jacket and pants with a loose tie wrapped around his neck.

"I think that makes it worse if what the girls told me about New Year's kiss is true," I mumbled to myself with a sigh as I carefully picked up a mask that was detailed to look like a leopard.

"Hey guys, can you keep a secret?" I asked, whispering just in case other people around the room were listening. Ienzo and Terra exchanged a look before nodding. I brushed my fingers across the mask before looking up at them, "I have a moderate case of Associative Prosopagnosia."

Ienzo blinked for a second before nodding, "I see why that would be a problem for you tonight." Terra glanced between Ienzo and I before he spoke up quietly, "Right, I... don't know what that means." "It's a type of 'face blindness' where you have a hard time recognizing people around you. Usually, you can pick up on particular expressions or hints of character if it is someone you know. But in the case for Poppy here, it sounds like she won't be able to recognize a staff member from a donor once we all have masks on."

Terra crossed his arms over his chest before stroking his chin with his hand, "No wonder you're so worried. Think you're just going to smooch on some stranger tonight at midnight?" A blush came up to my face as I shook my head, "T-that's not the problem! What if we have an emergency and I need some form of backup?"

"Ah, always thinking of work first than personal matters. Maybe we can talk to the others and ask on who won't be wearing a mask, or at least pair you with someone you are comfortable being with," Ienzo spoke as I looked up at him with a smile on my face.

"It's an idea, but let's not worry too much about that now. I think it'll probably get worse when an hour passes before I see you with masks on. Then I won't know who you are," I said placing the ornate leopard mask back down on the table as they both nodded.

* * *

"Come on Poppy. I know you're dressed like a princess, but we gotta move fast," Dilan remarked as he started stacking empty champagne flutes onto a tray. I just moped quietly as I tried to follow behind him at every cocktail round set up along the edges of the gallery, making sure people got new flutes of wine and asking if they needed any appetizers.

"H-how are you not sweating through your suit already?" Lea gasped as he was handing out appetizers to guests passing by his way as Dilan glanced back at the two of us. He was dressed in a black button-up shirt with matching slacks. If I wasn't running around cleaning, I would be oogling at his muscles with how his biceps look in that shirt.

He just shook his head as he placed the tray down at a buffet table that Isa was working at, "It's because I work non-stop around the clock cleaning up after the likes of you Lea." "The likes of me? Is... Is that a homophobe comment?" Lea asked as I glanced between them shrugging.

Dilan just looked at Isa before pinching the bridge of his nose trying to keep his patience down. "The 'likes of you' is your sloppy behavior, nothing about who you bring into the sack," Dilan said glancing over at Isa for back up.

Isa just looked at the three of us before glancing away, "Don't involve me in roasting my fiancé please." "H-hey Isa, does that mean you think I'm not a slob?" Lea asked as he handed his tray over for refills as Isa avoided eye contact with him, "Well... It wouldn't hurt if you clean a dish or two at home."

Lea's expression deflated as he hung his head moping. "L-let's... take about a less depressing topic. Are you guys going to be picking up any masks later to wear?" I asked, quickly trying to save the conversation since I was going to be with these guys for a few more hours on this rotating shift.

"Oh, I suppose that is something we should think about," Dilan said as Lea put his hand to his head, scratching the ponytail he had loose. "I was going to go with the bear looking one, I think it suits my personality quite well," Dilan remarked as I nodded eagerly, "Because you're scary?"

"I'm not that scary," Dilan scoffed as Lea held his hand up like I was going to call on him next. I sighed before pointing at Lea so he can give us his answer. "I'm probably going to be the fox because I'm hella foxy," Lea said gesturing finger guns before I rolled my eyes.

"Please tell me you didn't pick it just to make that atrocious pun," Isa said as Lea looked back at him with puppy eyes, "Why do you have to shoot me down? Alright then, what's your mask going to be for tonight?"

"The unicorn. What? ...It looks nice," Isa said flatly as the three of us looked at him. "Gotta be honest, it suits him perfectly. Plus the mask is a lot more terrifying than his face," Dilan whispered to my side as I snorted.

"What about you Poppy?" Isa asked, dismissing Dilan's side comment as I crossed my arms over my chest. "I... I haven't decided yet. I thought about going with the snake mask because it would match my outfit, but... I just haven't made a final decision," I tried to sway my answer due to the fact that I was worried to catch myself in a reflective surface.

Isa nodded and the other shrugged, "Whatever floats your boat. I would say you should get the mask you want to take since we get to take these all home afterwords. The guests can as well, but I doubt everyone will take one."

I pondered on their statement as I smiled, "Do you think I can get one of each? I can decorate my apartment even if they're silly replica masks from work." "I don't see why not. Just swing by my office next week and I can make sure you can bring them home," Isa said as I nodded. I felt a presence behind me before I heard a familiar voice speak in a husky tone, "Pardon me, gentlemen, may I ask the young woman a favor?"

I turned around to see Xemnas standing there, sparkling in the dim lighting as he held his hand over his heart and his head bowed slightly. Dilan just scoffed as Lea tried to hold back his laughter. Isa managed to speak up for the three of them, "Sure, she's your employee after all. And quit showing off for once, you're making all the straight men look like cheap dates."

Xemnas had a heartful chuckle escape his lips as he looked up at his hypnotic gaze caught my eye.

"It's the one time of the year to go overboard when you're a single bachelor. What can I say? So... Lady Poppy," Xemnas straightened up to stand tall as he held his hand out to me, "May I have this dance?"

I blinked in surprise and smiled as I delicately placed my hand into his as I stepped forward, brushing up against his chest, "I would love to go with you, Lord Xemnas."

"Take your roleplaying somewhere else," Dilan said with a blush running across his face, annoyed he had to witness that interaction between two staff members. I just smiled as Xemnas walked me to the middle of the galley where classical music was playing from the hired orchestra at center stage.

As they started to play the violin and piano for a duet piece, Xemnas placed his other hand on my waist as my free hand went to his shoulder. We swayed and danced to the music being played, Xemnas catching me as I almost fall back a few times by accident.

"Careful, you can't get worker's comp if you hurt yourself on break," Xemnas said with a smirk on his face as my face felt hot like a steaming kettle. "S-sorry, I didn't realize that I would get to chance to practice ballroom dancing with my boss," I said sheepishly as Xemnas exhaled through his nose.

"Let's... pretend we're not at work. Let's imagine that we came here as admirers of art and the preservation of history," Xemnas spoke as I looked at him quizzically, "Go on?" Xemnas leaned down as his breath blew hot air against my ear as he spoke, "I come in hoping to see a few friends tonight, but as I look across the room, I see this elegant woman who seems to be by her lonesome, chatting with individuals within her range."

I shifted back for a second as Xemnas twirled me around and under his arm before catching my waist again. "What did she do that made you so starstruck?" I asked quietly as I pressed my chest against his, realizing that Xemnas still stood at least a foot taller than me in the high heels Kairi begged me to wear for night. Said something about completing my look.

"Nothing."

I looked up at him with a cocked eyebrow as Xemnas started to slow down. "She looked radiant in her own beauty, her smile was infectious, and she stuck out as she was not like any of the high paying donors at the event. She acted like herself and everyone was surprised by her genuine nature," Xemnas finished as my jaw dropped, unsure how to respond to Xemnas' answer.

"Are you alright Poppy?" Xemnas asked, realizing that I was still staring up at him with wide eyes as I looked down gripping his hand and shoulder tightly, "I'm just fine! Thank you Xemnas. I... I didn't expect that from you."

"Would you like me to show you how I feel?" Xemnas whispered into my ear as I dropped his hand out of embarrassment. I glanced up to see the hungry smile on Xemnas' face, making my stomach leap like crazy.

"A-another time, thank you. I..." I started to ramble with my words before we came to a full stop as the music died down. Xemnas' hand brushed the side of my cheek and curled a loose strand of my hair around his fingers as he nodded, "We still have to make arrangements for meeting outside of work."

"Y-yes! Soon of course," I said with a smile as I grasped Xemnas' hand and planted a firm kiss on his palm. I looked up with a bashful look my face as he blinked in surprise. "I can't reach your face no matter how far on my tiptoes I get," I said with a smile as I turned around about to leave.

I felt a hand on my shoulder before I felt a heavyweight pressed against my back. I looked up to find Xemnas wrapping his arms around my shoulders loosely before he plants a small kiss on my forehead, "Just ask next time my dear Poppy."

I wanted to bury myself into Xemnas' chest, but catching the alarmed look on Isa's face from the other side of the room made me think otherwise.

* * *

"So, I heard that you were getting _real_ cozy with the boss earlier on the dance floor."

I turned around to find myself faced with a gentleman donning one of the ornate fox masks. I blinked for a moment before crossing my hands over my chest, "Sorry, who are you?" The man groaned before he lifted his mask to reveal Xigbar's face, "I can't believe you can't recognize my smooth-talking voice."

"Ah, Xigbar! Sorry, I've been having a hard time recognizing staff from guests now that everyone has their masks on," I said glancing to the ground as Xigbar shook his head and put the mask back on.

"Back to my statement earlier, you didn't deny it," Xigbar said as a grin crossed over his face. I laughed nervously as I raised my hands in defense, "It was one dance, and I don't know what the others have said, but it was platonic!"

Xigbar looked at me dead in the eye, or as well he could with the mask on, and just laughed, throwing his head back. "I didn't know a platonic relationship with your boss involved forehead kisses. Even giving you a kiss before your opening speech? That is not what platonic means in the dictionary."

I bit my tongue as I saw him tap the right side of his mask, "Just because I have one eye doesn't mean I don't know what's going on." "What are you going to do about it?" I scoffed as I started to turn away from him and walk down the corridor to head to the next gallery. I heard his footsteps behind me as he begrudgingly followed me, "I just wanna know if this means your off the market, or if I still have a chance to follow up his act."

I stopped and turned around pointing a finger at the fox mask's nose, "Listen here you, just because there's something going on with Xemnas doesn't mean you can just waltz in like you own my body. Got it?"

"Uhh... Yes ma'am. I'm sorry?" The individual in front of me took their mask off and I realized it was a completely different male guest wearing the mask.

I looked right next to him to see Xigbar standing there with the mask propped up on his forehead as he raised an eyebrow at me. I turned to the gentleman and apologized quickly thinking he was another person. As the poor patron walked off and put his mask back on, Xigbar stood next to me smirking, "So, about my lecture..."

I just threw up hands up and started walking away. "All I'm just saying is that I just wanna show you the goods before you tie yourself down to a man, that's all!" I could hear Xigbar's voice coming from behind me, and I was too worried to turn around to confront him just in case I yelled at another donor, or worse, someone higher up like the Board members Ansem had introduced me to this evening.

I quickly grabbed a snake mask off of the table I passed by and put it on my head. I closed my eyes tightly before I started to waltz through the crowd at a hurried pace to find a way to escape Xigbar. My pace started to turn into a fast jog as I could feel my heart beating faster and faster.

Running past all of the masked individuals make my blood pressure spike as everything started to blur and nothing was around to ground me to reality. I could feel the tears running down my face as the anxiety started to bubble to the surface as Xigbar's voice was still making crude remarks from far away. Shaking my head, I started pulling my fingers through my hair, untangling my braided hair, letting it flow freely in the wind as I walked and brush against my back.

I could feel my emotional walls were starting to crack from the dissolution of the room around me. I was starting to gasp feeling the heavy feeling on my chest before I felt a firm hand wrapped around my wrist, jerking me to the side and interrupt my route.

"Poppy?" I heard a man's voice speak to me from under a mask, a mask that did not match any of the five that were to be given to guests tonight. I blinked my tears back as I felt the breath caught in my throat as I studied the mask they were wearing. The colors were very bleak compared to the colorful masks around us, this one was entirely black with silver and sapphire blue gems for the eyes. I realized the shape was of an animal, it looked like a goat.

"Are you okay?" The voice behind the mask asked again as I looked up at them through my mask. I shook my head as I answered back, unsure on who this was exactly. They looked at me, unsure of what expression they held under the majority of the mask. They gestured their head in a direction past the crowd as they held my hand tightly, "Let's get you to someplace quiet. Mind following me?"

I bit my tongue before looking up at them nodding with a silent plea. They nodded as we started to slowly weave through the crowd and started to make our way up the staircase to the second floor.

After a few moments, I found the both of us standing in one of the more empty galleries in the museum as it had paintings that belong to them, on display all year round.

_It's like they knew people have already seen this before,_ I thought to myself as I was soon sat down by the masked gentleman on one of the benches against the wall. I took off the mask and set it down next to me on the bench looking downcast at the ground.

A glass was held in front of me immediately, making me look up at the masked man as he spoke, "Have you eaten or had something to drink all night?"

I shook my head before taking the glass, putting it to my lips. I felt the tears bubbling from my eyes as I felt a hand on my knee, the man crouched down in front of me looking up at my face. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Not really, but... I just had a tiny panic attack back there, it doesn't help with everyone looking like a blur downstairs," I said with a trembling voice as the tears dripped down my face. "I believe it, I'm sorry that you went through that. You looked so nice with your make up tonight too," They responded as they brought their hand up, brushing the now make up stained tears off my face.

I grabbed their hand and pulled it from my face as I placed it back on my knee, "I appreciate you bringing me here, but I assume you want to get back to the party downstairs. Don't we have like another half hour until we ring in the new year?"

He opened his mouth open for a second in surprise before he smiled, "We do, but there's no rush. Take all the time you need and then we can go back downstairs."

I batted my reforming tears away and shook my head, "I think I rather go home than stay the rest of the night. I know that my team is fully staffed so people can leave early if needed." I could feel this small feeling of sadness emitting from the person before me before they slowly stood up to their feet.

"I see. Actually, before you go home, would you like to go see something real quick?" Their voice carried a certain air of confidence and worry behind their words. I blushed, realizing that with my make up smeared, I can't walk around looking like a complete mess. I brushed my thumb over the mask sitting next to me before nodding.

"Lead the way," I said quietly as I placed the snake mask back on, making sure it was covering my face completely before I took their hand as we left the empty gallery.

* * *

As we stepped into the darkened room, I could see the full moon was high in the sky from the glass ceiling overhead. I felt my hand was cold as the masked man took a few steps away into the dark corners of the room. "Close your eyes until I tell you to open them," He instructed as I could hear the sincerity in their voice. I closed my eyes, slowly taking off the mask while I stood in the doorway.

My heart started to slow down as I could feel myself starting to breathe deeply, calming down enough to be stable for the meanwhile. I wonder where we are, I thought to myself as I could see a flicker of light through my closed eyelids.

"Okay, you can open them."

I started to slowly open my eyes, adjusting to the dimmed lights as I saw a giant mural in front of me. I put my mask to my mouth, covering my expression as I stared at the scene in front of me. The mysterious stranger stood a few feet in front of the wall-sized mural hanging on the wall.

It donned of beautiful colors, scenic imagery of what looked like a meeting of the world gathered in one place. Five life-sized figures were in the middle of the mural handing out small star-shaped objects to people along the borders of the image, each donning an animal mask.

"According to the records on the Foretellers of Lux, there were seven individuals who were tasked in keeping the world from going to chaos," The man explained as he turned to face the mural. I slowly made my way to his side to get a better look at the artwork. Even with the lights dimmed down, I could see that pieces of the work sparkled in the light, like stars were captured in the art.

"If there were seven of them, how came we only know about five?" I asked calmly, realizing that even if I stumble at normal conversations, I knew enough about this particular story to ask more questions.

"Two of them would work in the background before they disappeared. Nobody knows what happened to them, so everyone turned their attention to the five we see here to guide them. They were worried as one of them was their Master, and the other was an apprentice like them. Now this-" The man tapped to his mask, "was the original design of the lost apprentice. The Master had bequeathed the lost apprentice with an item that resembled this very animal to carry through his journey."

"How... How are you so sure it was this design? It's so... unruly-looking compared to the replicas we've seen tonight that people adore." I turned my attention to the man as he turned to face me with a beaming smile I could see underneath the mask.

"There were hints of the design recorded in archives that still exist in the world today. It just takes a lot of fine detail to comb through it, but I made this to represent the lost soul who could have added more to the world than what we know."

I nodded as I looked up at the details of the mask, absorbing the craftsmanship that went into making this one of a kind mask. "It's really beautiful behind all of the dramatic character it carries," I said softly as I raised my hand up to their face, brushing my fingertips along the mask as my palm cupped their cheek. "A...Ah, thank you," He said quietly, stammering with such a short sentence. 

I smiled as I looked up at him, holding my mask tightly in the other hand. "May I ask you something?"

"I don't see why n-"

"May I see your face?"

My words seem to have caught the man caught off guard as he jumped back in surprise. "M-my face?! I m-mean... I, uh..." Their rambling started to turn into whispered silence before he took a proud step forward as he placed his hand over his heart, "It's all yours."

I started to feel my heart pounding in my ears as I felt a warmth brush over my cheeks as I stepped forward and slowly reached for the mask, making sure to take it off properly. As I started to slowly pull the mask off, I could see a familiar nervous look in those deep blue eyes of his.

"You know, I would be shocked if I didn't realize how nervous you get," I said with a smile curling on my lips as he glanced away to scratch the back of his head. "L-like I said before, I'm really bad at this."

I smiled as I stepped closer draping my arms around his shoulders, "I think it's pretty cute. Now, are you going to make me beg or will you take the leap?" The look on his face changed as I could see the dusty rose color flush his face as he leaned forward, brushing a gentle yet wistful kiss on my lips.

I could hear the clock tower going off in the distance booming and the roar of applause echoing through the halls of the museum on this snowy winter night.

He slowly parted his lips away from mine before pressing his forehead against mine, whispering softly, "Happy New Year Poppy."

"Happy New Year Terra."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, well.... late happy new year to all of you. The last week of 2019 hit me like a pile of bricks with one day thing after another affecting me and loved ones close to me. Thankfully I had the last few chapters written before but this was something I wanted to make impactful. So I spent this entire weekend going in deep with writing this chapter.
> 
> I also had a hard time figuring out what outfit to have our lovely Poppy so I tried to choose between two outfits I googled.  
I ended up going with the strapless dress because UGH starry nights are beautiful. Totally lost my chance to use dumb lines. Maybe in future chapters for sure...  
(link of the image on my twitter: https://twitter.com/iamasplatter/status/1218780285728260096?s=20)


	14. Winter Wonderland

"One Sacred Dewdrop and One Hydra'geon! Ready and piping hot," Aqua called out as I smile grasping the paper cups off the counter.

"Thanks, Aqua." I said with a smile before I felt one of the cups was pulled from my hand immediately.

"Come on now, we're going to miss the next train," Xemnas said as he took a sip of the coffee he snatched from me before turning towards the entrance.

I just scowled for a second before I glanced back at Aqua, who had the biggest shit-eating grin on her face, "Good luck today~"

"I-it's work-related, no big deal!" I called out as I pulled my scarf tightly before I hurried out the door, seeing Xemnas was holding it open for me as we left _The Secret Daisy_.

As we took good care of our hot drinks while making our way across the street, I caught myself glancing up at Xemnas' face while he was walking next to me.

His thick-rimmed reading glasses were pushed on top of his head as I could see the light rose color brushing his caramel skin. His unkempt silver locks were sticking out from beneath the collar of his coat and seemed to be trying to come out from his jacket like a fur boa.

I just smiled and enjoyed seeing my Director in such a messy manner due to him falling behind this morning. "You do know this isn't the only train going to Twilight Town today," I said once we made it onto the sidewalk as Xemnas glanced at me with a somewhat hurt expression on his face.

"It's not about the train, it's the punctuality," Xemnas said cooly as he took the time to drink more of his coffee. I brushed my fingers along the rim of my paper cup before a grin cracked on my face, "Like how you fell behind to meet me this morning?"

"Now Miss Poppy-" Xemnas stopped for a second so he could tower over me as he lowered his coffee from his snow-bitted lips, "I appreciate it if you didn't take that tone with me as your Director."

I stopped and batted my eyelashes at him as I replied, "Of course Xemnas, I don't intend to be mean to an upstanding man of your virtue. Mostly when you desire to know _all_ about me."

The look on Xemnas' face was priceless as I could see him slow blink in surprise before turning away immediately, saying we were going to be late if I kept stopping him. I pulled my scarf tightly around my neck as it came loose before I chased after him, seeing the train coming into view.

* * *

_"Would you like to go for lunch this weekend?"_

_I just stopped in my tracks as I turned back to see Xemnas walking from Even's office as I stopped by to give Ienzo the donor information collected at the Gala._

_I blinked for a second before turning around to see if anyone else was behind me. Seeing no one else there, I turned back to face Xemnas to see that he was amused by my reaction._

_"You... Uh... Did you mean like a... A work-related thing?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at him as Xemnas crossed his hands over his chest, I could tell that he was savoring the amusement he was getting out of my reaction._

_"Let's call it a not work-related thing. You don't have to, I just know that you never answered my email a while back and we haven't really seen each other since the Gala. Helping Ansem pull those reports and donations should not be a priority, but alas..."_

_He replied as he gestured in the vague direction of Luxord's office, "Luxord had better plans like taking a vacation out of the blue."_

_"No wonder I got the weird request to help by Ienzo," I muttered to myself as Xemnas stepped forward with a smirk on his face as he met me at eye-level, "You're avoiding the question Poppy."_

_I blinked and pulled the folder I had in front of my face. "I don't want to say yes just because you're my boss and it feels like peer pressure," I said before lowering the folder from my face; I could see this joyful glow coming from him._

_"That is a fair reason."_

_"But we've already exchanged kisses a few times at work and it's embarrassing without a first date," I said quietly as Xemnas followed me back to the elevator. "They weren't all direct kisses," Xemnas defended himself poorly as I blushed, nudging against him._

_"But they still count as kisses!"_

* * *

I brushed my hand against Xemnas' fingers lightly as we stood next to each other on the packed train. A lot of families and tourists were traveling back to Twilight Town to take the next stop out of the area. Thankfully for us, we had just another stop until we got off at Twilight Town.

"Are you quite alright?" I heard Xemnas' deep voice resonate with my soul as I glanced up to face him nodding.

"I haven't been on a train this busy since I first moved to Radiant Garden. I've forgotten how pack these lines ge- WOAH!" I yelped a little as I felt my backside get knocked by a woman with a giant purse trying to maneuver to an open seat.

I flung my arm out and wrapped tightly around Xemnas' forearm to keep myself from throwing coffee onto another passenger.

I soon felt Xemnas' arm curl and I found myself pulled against his chest. "Perhaps you should hang onto me for the rest of the ride," Xemnas said calmly as I looked up at him, slowly loosening my grip as I bit my bottom lip hesitating.

"I suppose it doesn't hurt if I have you to stabilize me," I said under my breath as I slid my grip from his sleeve to the front of his coat. With how much bigger he was compared to me, I always just assumed it was how tight his clothes fit him.

Oh no. With how toned his pecs were, I thought I was going to die being close to someone who just feels fit and I don't have to fantasize him without clothes on. Xemnas in a suit enough is just...

Well...

It makes me realize why we have more female donors requesting a tour from him than anyone else in our department.

I held my breath as I felt Xemnas's hot breath on my face as he exhaled. "Don't pass out on me now," Xemnas said quietly, earning a chuckle from me before I gripped his coat tighter and looked up at him, "Oh please, you would love that right now."

I could see the smug smile on his face before the train came to a slow stop. Xemnas placed his hand across mine delicately as he nodded, "Here's our stop. You can let go now." I loosened my grip before my hand trailed down his chest and I turned back around to walk towards the train doors.

As I stood at the door platform, I felt an arm brushing against my back. _Why is Xemnas standing so close to me?_ I thought to myself for a moment as I felt the hand was sliding down to my lower back before the pressure was pulled off immediately.

"I would mind if you didn't assault my date with your filthy hands." I heard Xemnas' voice turn into a threatening growl, which made me turn my head around to see an older gentleman standing inches away from my back and his wrist trembling in Xemnas' grip.

"I... I didn't know she was..." The man tried to say as he glanced between me and Xemnas' irritated glares.

"So you would have just assaulted any woman on this train, hoping they wouldn't put up a fight?" I said, my tone darkening in a heartbeat, seeing that the man realized he messed with the wrong people. He jumped back and stumbled back once Xemnas let go of his wrist and scrambled down the train car as fast as he could from us.

"Tch, what a fucking rat," I hissed as Xemnas stepped towards me with a flicker of worry dashing onto his face, "Are you alright?" "I am, I assumed you were just wanting to be handsy all of a sudden," I said, feeling slightly guilty that I thought he was just trying to be assertive.

"I'd at least have the common decency to do it out of the public eye," Xemnas said with a brief response as he walked passed me and onto the train platform. I just blushed and turned back to follow him off the train and through the crowded station.

We tossed our coffee cups into a nearby trashcan as we walked outside the train station and walked down the steps. I just gasped for a moment before I rushed across the station plaza towards the brick wall overlooking the town.

"This is amazing, and beautiful in its own way!" I said before I turned back to see Xemnas standing back a few feet with his hands in his pockets.

"Not like Radiant Gardens isn't beautiful, it's just... Something about Twilight Town is very..."

"It's a lot more full of life. The population is mostly young families raising their children, teenagers from other districts coming here for school, and the elderly finding a place to retire but enjoy the commotion," Xemnas stated as he took a few steps towards me.

"The culture in this town has a life of its own. They are well known for their top of the art eateries and having small festivals during different times of the year," Xemnas finished his statement as he took his hands from his pockets to move his glasses onto his face.

"No wonder you wanted to bring me here for this date," I said looking up at him, a little shocked that he knew we needed some type of entertainment buffer.

He smiled as he shrugged his heavy coat off and draping it over his left arm, "Plus the weather is warmer here due to the coastline."

I slowly nodded, realizing that I was starting to sweat under my winter coat and scarf I was wearing. "Why didn't you tell me it was going to be like this," I whined for a moment as I started to peel my scarf off and my coat pooled at my feet with my hands reaching up to tie my hair up.

Xemnas stepped forward and grabbed the articles on the ground before he mumbled under his breath, barely legible for me to hear.

As he stood up and handed me my winter wear, he spoke with a calm expression, "You seemed to have dressed pretty light either way. Why do I get the feeling you expected us to be indoors where it would be warmer?"

I raised an eyebrow as I glanced down at my outfit as I wore black booties with skinny jeans and a loose blouse that hung off my shoulder on one side with a spaghetti strap from keeping it from going any further south.

"I... Like to dress like it's warm all the time, that's all!" I said, trying to defend myself poorly as I really didn't have a better excuse as why I thought this was date appropriate for the winter.

Xemnas chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders, "It looks great on you either way. Let's get going then and embark into town." Xemnas held his free hand out to me as I hugged my coat to my chest before grabbing his hand in a delicate manner.

* * *

"This... is amazing!" I gasped in surprise as I looked between the man sitting across from me and the plate of half-eaten Eel Matelote on my side of the table. "I'm glad you find it to your tastes," Xemnas said as he sipped a glass of red merlot as I cut another slice out of the fish in front of me.

"I wanted to try something weird and different that we wouldn't get back home. But to expect this to hit the spot, I really want to hire the chef to make my food all the time," I said with a relaxed look on my face as Xemnas poked his fork at the Stuffed Quail before taking his knife to it.

"So, what would you like to talk about?" Xemnas asked in a mild manner as I shoved another forkful of food into my mouth. I pondered on the question for a moment before gesturing the utensil in his direction, "What happened in the last two months where we went from an email about a coffee date to a full-on lunch?"

Xemnas looked at me before laughing, "Is that really what you're interested in?" "Of course! Mostly since I expected us to not leave town for a few hours to get some food," I said with a blush rising to my cheeks due to feeling embarrassed and loving his laugh.

"Hm, well... I felt it was justified to take you out to a proper date rather than just have coffee and go our separate ways," Xemnas explained as he put a piece of meat into his mouth, pondering on the rest of his answer as I sipped some champagne.

"If I really wanted to invoke my interest with a woman like yourself, I thought it was best to show you my interest in such a manner where-"

"Where you take me out and foot the bill for this extravagant food? Xemnas, I don't know how much you make salary-wise, but I definitely can't afford to eat like this every day of the week," I said with a concerned look, wondering if this was a way to show his status.

"Oh, believe me. I don't eat like this every day as well. I thought it was a special occasion to spend a little more money than usual on someone important." Xemnas' words fanned the flame in my heart as I glanced away, impressed that he was taking out all the stops to have me on this date.

"Now I have a question for you. Although this is more on the humorous side of gossip going around the office," Xemnas said as he propped his elbows on the table with his hands folded underneath his chin. "I never knew that you were into the office gossip, but sure. Lay it on me Xemnas, what's going on in your head?" I asked curiously as I took the last amount of eel and placed it in my mouth.

"Did you find someone to kiss at the Gala? Most of the staff were downstairs and when we tried to find you to celebrate your first new years eve with us, we couldn't find you at all. Although a few other staff were missing as well, so everyone has speculations..." Xemnas asked as I felt myself about to choke on the eel and from the question.

I caught myself and pounded out my chest lightly as I swallowed the slimy but beautifully cooked fish. I placed my fork down and tucked some stray hair behind my ear, "If you must really need to know, I did." I glanced to see Xemnas' expression had not changed in any shape or form before I took a deep sigh.

"I a-actually wasn't feeling well and... someone took me upstairs to get some air from the rest of the party. It e-ended up being Terra and well, he showed me the new piece going on display and then we..."

I could feel the weight of the situation getting awkward with me telling my boss, who I know is infatuated with me, that I kissed another coworker.

Xemnas closed his eyes for a second before he let out an amused grunt. "He's very much a wallflower, sticking to his work and terrible with women. I'm impressed that he won you over to steal a kiss on New Year's Eve," Xemnas said with a relieved look washing over as I blinked, unable to tell if he was being sincere.

"Are you mad?"

Xemnas shook his head as he tapped his fingers to the frame of his glasses, "I'm not mad at all. It does mean that I have to try harder for your attention. But that does bring up another question then."

"Are the two of you an item?"

I raised my hand to trace my finger along the rim of the glass, "Well... After that night, we have bumped into each other and he's been too embarrassed to be around me. I think he's trying or wants to be? He's just... I don't know, trying to control the urge to just take me into a closet and make out more?"

I just raised my hands in a light shrug as Xemnas chuckled. "I don't mind if you do pursue others around the museum. I would just like honesty to know where things go from now on. As someone I care about inside and outside the work walls, that's all I ask for."

I sat there in silence before putting my finger to my mouth pondering. "Xemnas..." I started to say, perking his interest as I reached my hand across the table to caress his face.

"Want to go spend some time and check out the film festival happening down the way? Let's just enjoy what we have now and think about tomorrow later," I said with a gentle smile on my face as Xemnas' amber eyes flickered with warmness.

"Of course my Poppy," Xemnas realized that I wanted to spend this date with him instead of talking about other people.

* * *

Xemnas wrapped my scarf tighter around his neck as we walked down the snow-covered streets of Radiant Garden.

"I'm surprised that those films were kept in the high school archives. I wonder if they would want to donate them to the museum someday," I said with an optimistic aura as Xemnas placed his hand on my lower back, "Even if we did, we would be taking the life out of Twilight Town by taking what rightfully belongs to them."

I looked up at him as the starry sky behind Xemnas was a nice backdrop for his glowing face in the street light. "I suppose you're right," I said with a sigh as I shoved my hands into my coat pockets.

We took a few more moments to express our favorites of the short films we saw before we arrived outside my apartment building. "Well... This is it," I said with a sheepish smile as Xemnas pushed his glasses on top of his head again.

"I'm... glad I was able to take you out today. As much as it turned into a work-experience, it was considered a date in my heart." Xemnas replied as I turned to face him as I reached out for his hands, realizing that my hands were a lot warmer than his. "Have you always been this cheesy back in the office?"

"Hardly my dear," He said with a smirk crossing his lips as I glanced away, "Thank you for walking me home Xemnas. It's nice to have company instead of walking alone. I'd invite you inside but, I don't know how my roommate would feel having you over for a little while longer..."

I felt a cold hand tip my chin up towards Xemnas' face as he brushed his lips against my forehead before pulling away.

"It's quite alright, I should be heading home anyways," He whispered softly while my face was getting hotter by the second with how close he was to me. I could feel the warmth escape as he stood back up and took a step away from me, his hands leaving my face.

"Goodnight Poppy. I'll see you on Monday," Xemnas said as he turned away from me as I stood there with my hands dropping to my sides.

"X-xemnas!" I called out as I stood there with the snow fluttering down from the night sky above me.

He turned back around and cocked an eyebrow up at me. I cupped my hands around my mouth as I spoke, "P-please text me when you get home! And... Let's go out again soon!"

Xemnas flashed me an earnest smile as he turned around with a distant wave as he walked further away from where I stood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to turn this into a smut scene, but I just wanted some good fluff instead.


	15. Winter Blossoms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my little Valentine's Day gift for the weekend. I have been burnt out by work but I enjoyed writing fluff pieces lately. I just need something to combat my 'big sad'.

My shoes clicked across the marble flooring before I stepped into the lobby elevator. I turned around and pressed the 2F button with a skip in my step.

"Coming through!" I heard an echoing shout as footsteps approached the doors. I quickly stepped forward and swung my arm in front of the door before it closed, having the automatic sensors open. I stepped to the side as I saw Roxas and Luxord stepping onto the lift.

"Thanks Poppy! You're a lifesaver. We're running behind as it is," Roxas said with a relieved sigh leaving his lips as I stretched my arms.

"It's not a problem at all. What meeting are we having this time?" I asked as Luxord dusted his slacks off with the folder he had in hand, "It's a quick meeting to see if we still have enough in the budget for the rest of the Fiscal Year. We got three more months to be self-sufficient."

"I think Luxord is worried we didn't bring in enough money from the Gala this year. Not enough bids on the items we put for auction," Roxas explained as I leaned against back on the wall as I scratched my face, "What happens if we don't make enough money?"

"We cut costs, probably will start with Roxas' internship first," Luxord said as Roxas looked at him in surprise, "I don't even get paid for this! It's for school credit!"

"You're still in school?" I asked in surprise as Roxas nodded, "I take a lot of online courses so I spend most days here and no time sleeping with the workload I get from classes."

"Bless your soul Roxas," Luxord said holding his hand over his heart as we just laughed nervously.

"Seriously though, I think we would have to cut some operations costs which mean tighter budgets until we get bigger grants to fund our jobs," Luxord finished as we both looked at him as the elevator doors opened on the next floor.

"Isn't that your department's job?" I asked as Luxord walked on ahead as we followed him down the hallway.

"You know that I have to work with Even and his unpleasant nature, right?" Luxord said before a door swung open and a book struck the blonde man on the side of the head, having him collapse in pain.

"I know you didn't mean that comment, did you Luxord?" Even stepped out from the doorway with the book in hand as he glared down at his coworker who was knelt before him. Even glanced over at me and Roxas as we clung to each other in fear of getting hit as well.

"Come on in you three, we're starting in a minute without you. Riku is getting antsy as it is," Even said cooly as he stepped out of the way for us to make our way into the office as Luxord grumbles behind.

* * *

"...And that's the conclusion on where we are with the budget. Any questions at all?" Riku stood at the front of the room as the group of us gathered there sat around, exhausted by today's meeting.

"Good, everyone's dismissed. Go get lunch and take a longer break than usual today, the snowstorm is really picking up outside so be careful if you order in," Even proclaimed as everyone started getting up from their seats and making their way towards the door. I started packing up my files and notes that I took for Xemnas' request as the rest of the department was doing tours with school groups all morning.

I shifted a little before I felt someone lingering behind me. "Hey Poppy, want to get lunch with me?" I turned to see Terra standing there bashfully as he slung his bag over his shoulder.

I held my breath for a moment as I realized that Terra's sleeves were rolled up and his biceps were somewhat bulged to a point where the sleeves of his button-up shirt were going to tear if he moved a muscle. I was surprised that he could find well-fitted dress shirts with his build.

I blushed as I smiled brushing my fingers through my messy locks, trying to look presentable. "I'd like that! What do you think we should get?" I asked as I picked my stuff up and followed him out of the office and towards the elevator.

"Well, because of the snowstorm, how about getting some stuff from the gift shop and finding a place to eat? It'd be like a picnic! Except... we're indoors and still at work," Terra said realizing that he was a little too eager about the picnic idea.

"That's actually not a half-bad idea. Although we don't have a blanket to sit on like a traditional picnic... I guess anywhere we set up shop is fine, right?" I said with a smile as Terra smiled warmed the whole atmosphere.

"Of course!" Terra said with a smile as the elevator clicked its doors open as we stepped inside and Terra reached over to push the 1F button. As the doors closed, I glanced up at Terra and glanced away as I noticed that he looked down at me with a blush crossing his face.

Even after what happened on New Year's Eve, we still can't talk to each other about anything not work-related.

_It's such a bummer because he's so fucking cute_, I thought to myself with a sigh as Terra broke the silence first.

"Is everything alright?" He asked as I stiffened up for a second before looking up at his worried expression.

_Here goes nothing..._

"Well, you see-"

_ **Ding!** _

The elevator doors opened up on the first floor connected to the Museum lobby and I could see Marluxia standing there with Yen Sid.

"A-ah, good afternoon Yen Sid!" Terra said as he gave the Board Member a short wave as the both of them acknowledged us before letting us off the elevator.

"Nice to see you again, Terra, Mrs Poppy. We're running a bit behind, having a meeting with Even upstairs." Yen Sid explained as Marluxia and Yen Sid stepped into the elevator.

"Of course, please enjoy your visit!" I said with a small smile before the doors closed, leaving Terra and I alone again.

"Ah, sorry. What were you trying to say Poppy?" Terra asked as I hugged my notes to my chest tightly. "Ah, erm... It's... It's not important! Let's go get lunch first and talk about it later," I said with a half-hearted smile as I walked ahead of him towards the lobby.

I glanced ahead of me to see Vanitas, Sora, Ventus, and Demyx chatting among themselves at the front desk. It seems that even the front desk is pretty slow due to the weather outside. Demyx seemed to catch me out of the corner of his eye first before he waved lazily in my direction.

"Hey Poppy! Want to help us decide on what monster movie is the best?" Demyx called out as I slowed my pace to let Terra catch up as I just bolted without him.

"I'm actually a little busy, but what options do I have to choose from?" I asked, wanting to at least humor them and see what they had in mind.

"We're trying to decide if either _Bigfoot: The Extra Mile_ or _Mothman Meets Lamp Saleslady_ is the best," Sora explained while Ventus shook his head, "They're all terrible movies!"

"Er... Do I have any other choices?" I asked as Vanitas cackled, "I told you those are awful Sora. Why don't you just believe us?"

"But Riku says they're alright!"

"Well, Riku also puts it into your butt so his opinion doesn't mean shit," Vanitas sneered earning a blush to creep to my face at the thought of my coworkers' lives outside of the museum.

"Gay sex aside, what do you think?" Demyx said as all four boys' attention turns back towards me. "Er... I'm going to have to put a pin into commenting right away since I'm busy."

"Busy with what?"

"Hey Poppy, there you are! Ready for lunch?" Terra said as I heard him coming up to us as I turned my back on my other coworker's, just imagining their smug faces once they realized what I was "busy" with.

"Yeah I am. Sorry about that bolting off like that," I said bashfully as Terra joined my side as I heard Vanitas' voice cackling. "What's on the menu for lunch? Sausage or tacos?" Vanitas asked in a nonchalant as the five of us, not including Vanitas, stood there with our mouths dropped to the floor.

"S-sandwiches!" Terra burst out in embarrassment as I could tell he was just as flustered as I was. "Huh, that sounds like it's a great lunch!" Ventus tried to steer the conversation into a PG territory before it got any worse.

"I mean, it is great when you have all that meat between some buns," Vanitas said leaning against the counter with a massive grin on his face as I thought I was going to die on the spot.

"Well, here's the notes from today's meeting. Get them to Xemnas right away please, I'll be on break for a little while," I said, stepping forward and shoving the folder full of budget-related notes into his arms.

I stepped past him and sped walked towards the gift shop. I could hear Terra shouting at the guys once I was out of range. Part of me wondered what he was scolding them about, or which part he scolded Vanitas on.

I stepped inside the empty gift shop as I could see the quiet shop manager tending to stock.

"How are you?" Aeleus asked as I leaned against the counter as I looked up at him with my head in my hands.

"Aside from Vanitas' dirty innuendo, I'm doing alright. Can I get two sandwiches?" I asked as I pointed to the small fridge sitting behind the counter.

He nodded as he opened the fridge to pull the pre-packaged sandwiches out, "Don't let Vanitas get to you. You know he's just one of the residential assholes. What did you..." Aeleus stopped speaking once he saw something off in the distance behind me before it clicked for him.

"Actually, knowing your department and the rest of the gossipers... You apparently had it coming," Aeleus said with a sigh before I groaned in distress as he placed the sandwiches on the counter.

"Mind if I pay for them?"

I glanced back to see the now crimson-cheeked brunette walking towards the counter fishing for his wallet in his bag.

"I was going to pay for them, but if you want to beat me to the punch..." I said with my words trailing off as Terra handed his card over to Aeleus.

"Don't worry about what Vanitas said, he's just an asshole," Terra said with a smile on his face, trying to be sincere as I looked up at him frowning.

"I mean, I wouldn't worry if it was just Vanitas, but did he have to do that in front of other people?" I replied crossing my arms over my chest as Terra picked the sandwiches off the counter. "Well, if you two weren't dating, he'd still be picking on Kairi and Demyx," Aeleus said as I saw Terra's shoulder stiffen.

"But we're not dating," I said in a mild plea as Aeleus shrugged. "Everyone expects those kissing on New Year's Eve to be dating shortly afterward."

"Really," Terra said with a raised eyebrow as Aeleus placed his hand on the nape of his neck, stretching it out.

"That's how me and Larxene got together. It's like the building can be a subconscious blessing to young love."

"Well, thanks for the information, but we now have to go have our lunch as coworkers," I said stepping forward and grabbing Terra's arm to pull him out of the shop. Aeleus just watched as we walked out and shook his head, "I really should start that office-based bet on them."

"Where shall we eat lunch?" Terra asked as I dragged him out of the shop and up the nearest staircase.

"We... well... I don't know. I'm sorry, I didn't think of a good place for us to go eat yet," I said in an embarrassed manner as I came to a slow stop. Terra smiled weakly before tapping my shoulder with one of the packaged sandwiches, gesturing me to take it from him.

"Don't worry. Actually, I know of a place we can go where it won't be crowded for sure. We do have to ask Dilan for the key," Terra said with a smile as I raised an eyebrow at him.

"A key? Where are we going?"

He put a bandaged finger to his lips as he winked, "It's a secret. Do you trust me?"

I looked up at him, seeing that he was being pretty playful yet trying to warm up with some charisma. I nodded and prodded his chest with two fingers, "Lead the way then."

* * *

Dilan unlocked the glass door as we stood behind him with an umbrella covering our heads. The snow coming down all around us as Dilan opened the door and stepped inside. I looked at Terra before stepped inside the glass structure, stepping into the warm environment.

As I stepped forward, Dilan stood by the side and took the umbrella from Terra as the brunette stepped inside. I looked around and felt the life of the plants around me blooming as I stepped on the brick patio.

"What do you think?" Terra asked with a smile as Dilan closed the door so the warm air didn't escape the building.

"Has this greenhouse always been here?" I asked as I stepped forward to see a mass garden full of flowers and specialty herbs growing in the pots around the area.

"It was abandoned until a few years ago. Ansem decided to use this space for special gatherings. We use it for internal events due to how small this space is," Dilan explained as he seemed prideful in keeping these plants in a healthy condition during the harsh winter.

"Are you sure we can use this space, even just for lunch?" I asked running my fingers along my skirt as Dilan nodded towards Terra's direction.

"I mean, as long as you do nothing more than eat in here..."

"Dilan, come on now," Terra said rolling his eyes as the older man smirked.

"I'm kidding! Just let me know if you ever need a getaway. This place will probably be used more once the weather warms up, not many people wanna walk through the snow to get here. Let me know when you guys are leaving so I can lock it up."

"Thanks a lot Dilan," I said with a beaming smile as Dilan waved before he stepped out with the umbrella in hand.

As the glass door closed with a click, Terra stretched his back for a second before yawning, "It's so warm on here I wouldn't mind falling asleep in here."

"Come on, let's eat out lunch over there!" I said as I pointed down the path towards the lush green grass where a large tree was blooming with leaves on it.

We slowly walked over and made our way to the tree and leaned out backs against it with our food in hand. We spent our time over lunch talking about other projects we've taken care of since the Gala.

As we put our trash back into Terra's bag so we didn't leave anything for Dilan to clean after us, we started to dwindle in conversation.

Terra had his eyes closed as he leaned back on the tree. I started to shift uneasily before I pulled myself into a knelt position and tapped my hand onto Terra's shoulders, hoping that he hadn't fallen asleep.

He fluttered his eyes open and looked at me with a curious expression striking across his deep blue eyes, "What's up?"

"Can I... er... We... Uh, well..."

I took a deep breath to ease my nerves before Terra spoke up, "Is it about what you wanted to talk about earlier?"

I bit my bottom lip for a second before nodding. Terra shifted his position until his right knee was pulled to his chest as he leaned forward to prop himself up.

"What's on your mind?" He asked as I could feel my cheeks burning brightly from his lax posture.

_He really isn't making this any easier for me to ask_, I thought to myself before I clapped my hands together in a curt manner to keep myself on track.

"Did you..." I stopped my words for a moment seeing his expression flicker to panic for a moment. I twirled my finger around some loose hair before I spoke, feeling my gut getting tightly wound up.

"Can we... do more?"

Terra just blinked as I felt my face heating up at a rapid rate.

"I mean... I really like... I think you're a really nice guy to talk with. I kind of wondered if you want to... do more stuff outside of work like... I really liked when you kissed me and uh..."

I felt myself starting to ramble but my thoughts went off track as Terra pulled himself up from his position and leaned towards me with a smile on his lips, almost towering over me as he scooted closer to me.

"And what did you want to do exactly?" Terra asked, his voice dropping to a low tone, which made me realize how close he got. I looked away a little hesitantly as I felt weird seeing how long his lashes and how deep of a blue his eyes are.

"What... if I show you?" I said quietly, turning back to face him with a smile crossing my face in an innocent manner. It was now Terra's turn to blush as I leaned forward with my lips hovering below his for a few moments before I exhaled, teasing him with my hot breath brushing across his lips.

"I... Well... I..." Terra stammered for a moment as I heard him mumble 'fuck me' under his breath.

"I'd love getting to know you," Terra whispered as his hand brushed through my hair and clasp onto the back of my neck. Something flickered inside of me before I crashed my lips onto his, enjoying the audible groan from his throat as I managed to catch him off guard.

My arms slid up his chest and wrapped loosely around his neck as I felt his other hand pulling me against his body. I traced my tongue against his lips, seeing how far I can go before a growl came from Terra's chest.

Our lips disconnected for a moment as I found myself tumbling onto my back with the grass underneath me and Terra crawling over my sprawled body. He leaned down claiming my lips again with a cheerful hum coming from his chest.

His hands roamed and found themselves on either side of my body, squeezing every part of my body hidden in my winter clothes. I bit his bottom lip hungry for more, not sure if there was an odd effect from the plants in this warehouse that was starting to affect us.

He pulled back and smiled for a moment before he brought his hand up to my cheek while propping himself up.

"Did you know... No, it's too stupid," Terra said shyly, turning his head away trying to fight a smile. I raised an eyebrow as I brought my hand up to ruffle through his messy locks, "Oh, now I really want to know."

"Well," Terra turned to face me with a sly smirk on his face as he held himself up by his elbows, "Did you know that poppies cause a state of euphoria in men?" I started to laugh as Terra peppered my face in kisses as I knotted my fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp.

"You are such a nerd."

"But _you_ want to do things with this nerd," Terra said sticking his tongue out before he rolled off and laid next to me on the grass. I smiled pulling my arms over my head as I fluttering my eyes closed, wanting to savor the moment.

* * *

"Thank you for buying lunch," I said with a smile as Terra walked next to me into the Museum Lobby.

"It was my pleasure, we should definitely grab a bigger lunch the next time we see each other," Terra said brushing his hand through his now messy hair.

I laughed as we took our separate ways to get back to work.

I stopped for a moment as I made my way to the staircase to see Terra walking past the front desk.

"Hey Terra! Why does the back of your shirt have grass stains?" I heard Sora's voice ring throughout the lobby as Terra passed the front desk. Terra immediately stopped and I could see his try to grab at his shirt and asking Sora some inaudible question.

I let out a snort as I quickly made my way back to the administration office, wondering how Terra is going to explain himself out of that.


	16. Me and My Shadow

"Did you hear the news?"

I blinked slowly as I looked over at Demyx as we walked into the lobby with coffee cups in hand.

"Are we all fired? If not..." I shifted my gaze as I looked at the vast emptiness of the lobby this early February morning.

"Hey now, don't get so serious! You hear about the festival they did in the next town over?"

I blinked and looked at Demyx with a jaded expression. I shook my stainless steel mug as I responded, "Demyx, I haven't had sleep the last few days because of all the work being asked to do. Stop beating around the bush and tell me."

Demyx sighed as we made our way to the wooden lobby desk as he placed his cup down.

"Don't gotta be mean Poppy, but anyways: There's this little celebration held in place known for its "Wonderland" aesthetic. They see if there will be an early spring or six more weeks of winter," Demyx explained as he started gesturing with his hands like he was pulling something out of the ground.

I just raised an eyebrow as I gestured to his hands, "So... Do they pull vegetables from the ground?"

"No, they pull this little rabbit from the ground and if it sees its shadow-"

"I'll pass," I said slowly adjusting my bag and looking at my watch. Demyx sighed as he looked up at me with a puppy dog look, "Don't you wanna know what the rabbit predicted?"

"Not really. Unless it can predict my workload and the bullshit I gotta deal with my coworkers, then I'll pass on your legendary rabbit."

I took a long slow sip of my coffee before I slowly turned around and headed for the staircase towards the office. I could feel something eating at the back of my brain as I left Demyx to continue his morning in a now deflated mood.

I started to walk up the stairs, just hearing the clicking of my heels _click-clack_ across the marble flooring until I reached the worn-down wooden floors. I took a slow stop to find myself in front of a few different pieces of art. Some of the art was based on ancient wars fought between rivals.

I took a long, glazed-over look of the art before I continued on my way.

Something felt different today and I couldn't figure out why. It felt like I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I knew it felt strangely wrong, but at the same time, it felt like I needed to have a shitty day.

You know, something to change up the routine of a busy frantic life with no real goals.

I placed my coffee down for a second before I reached back and placed my palms firmly on the underside of my back, pushing firmly. I closed my eyes and groaned in frustration, not feeling any of my relief until I regain my normal posture.

"I don't think today is going to be going up anytime soon," I grumbled to myself as I picked up my coffee cup. As I stood back up, I felt the mug swiped from my hand and an arm wrapped around my shoulder.

"Morning Poppy, aww you shouldn't have. This is my favorite," Xigbar said calmly as he teased me, taking a small sip from my drink as I shifted my gaze over to him with a tired look on my face.

"Yeah, just wash it when you're done," I mumbled, as I pulled his arm from off my shoulders as I continued walking.

I heard his footsteps echoing in my stead before he asked, "Not putting up another fight with the ol' Xigbar this morning? Even if he would tease and say he's indirectly making out with you by drinking your coffee?"

I just shrugged, barely lifting the dramatic motion as my body swayed seeing the administration office come into view.

"Have it your way," I said, my fingers twitching slightly as I leaned against the administration office doors and ran my fingers through my hair. Xigbar just raised an eyebrow in concern as he followed my staggered form to the Historians' Department office.

I opened the door to the office to see Vanitas, Kairi and Xemnas were engrossed in their work as they huddled around Xemnas' desk. "Morning team!" Xigbar called out as both of us made out way to our desks as I plopped my bag onto the desk as our three coworkers gestured in acknowledgment to his greeting.

"Xemnas, Poppy. We have a big field trip coming in today. Kairi and Vanitas are helping me pull other documents together for Even and Ansem, would you two tag team the group together?" Xemnas asked as he looked up with a drained expression on his face.

I just sighed, seeing that I wasn't going to get out of this one. "Sure thing Xemnas, you know we got this!" Xigbar cackled slightly as he grabbed his radio and a few documents from his desk before he left the office. I nodded, not even saying a word since I stepped into the office, turning around and heading out the door.

"Poppy?"

I stopped hearing my name and glanced back to see Vanitas looking up from his work. He raised his glasses to his head as he raised an eyebrow, "You alright? You seem kind of... Off today, so to speak." I just raised my hand up and waved it lightly, "I'm fine. Just burnt out."

"If you need to go home and take a personal day, please let me know," Xemnas said as he looked up, I could see the flicker of concern on his face as I forced a small smile to my face. "Of course," I said quietly as I closed the door and went to go find where Xigbar ran off to.

* * *

"...And that's why guns were invented!" Xigbar finished his explanation as I stood there rolling my eyes as I stood next to him. I wouldn't have minded him going off the books and talking about the history of weapons with the field trip group, but I don't think a bunch of six years olds would understand it at all.

One of the kids raised their arm, as I gestured over to them to ask their question. "Why is the lady not saying anything? Is she your servant?" The little girl asked, pointing over at me, making both me and Xigbar jolt up in attention.

Xigbar looked at me with a smug grin as I returned a deadly glare. "She's not feeling well today kids, in fact, she just found out that she's going to have a baby b-"

"That's e-enough questions today kids! Thank you for taking a tour with us around the museum, please make your way to the front lobby for your teachers and chaperones to decide where you will be adventuring to next," I spoke out, covering Xigbar's mouth with my hand to keep him from speaking any further to the school group.

The kids all cheered as their teachers and designated parents ushered them out of the gallery until it was Xigbar and I standing there.

"Okay, now that we're free for the moment, what's your deal?" I scowled as I crossed my arms over my chest as Xigbar stood there with a smirk on his face.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Why would you lie and tell a school group that I'm pregnant?!"

Xigbar just shrugged. "Because I thought it would make your mood lighten up."

I just stood there for a moment before cupping my hands over my eyes and groaning in frustration. I dragged my hands down my face before glaring at the older man in front of me. "Oh please, you know you just wanted to get a rise out of me."

"Maybe, but I'm also just trying to uplift the mood. You seemed like you were in a weird place this morning," Xigbar mentioned as he stepped forward, tapping the antennae of his radio to my chest, "It's like you're someone else using your body."

I grabbed his radio and held it in my hand, "Come on, you're exaggerating. Anyways, let's just get back to work."

I started to go towards the gallery exit before I felt a hand wrap around my bicep and pull me back. I glanced to see Xigbar looking at me with an annoyed look on his face, "Actually, we're going on a little walk."

I just raised an eyebrow before shaking my head, shaking his grip off my arm. "Whatever keeps your pants on I guess," I grumbled as Xigbar grabbed his radio from my grip. "At ease Poppy, come on. I won't bite."

I just kept walking forward as Xigbar took the lead down the hallway. We walked in silence as I followed him down to the main lobby.

I flinched for a second as I heard the screaming from the kids echoing off the walls. "You better not be bringing me out here to suffer," I groaned glancing up at Xigbar as he snorted, "Have more faith in me Poppy. Come on, we're going offsite."

I raised an eyebrow at him as we stepped by the front desk, he tossed his radio over to Sora who was helping a customer out as he waved, "Going offsite. Let the others know me and Poppy are doing lunch."

Sora let out a panicked screech as he caught the radio as Demyx glanced away from me, seeming embarrassed about what happened this morning. I laid my radio next to Demyx's keyboard before speaking up.

"Hey Demyx? I'm... sorry about this mor-"

"It's fine. I shouldn't be troubling you with what I wanted to share," Demyx said softly, looking at me with this bright teal eyes of his. I blinked before shaking my head, "But... I shouldn't be taking my bad day out on any-"

"Hey, what's holding you up my lovely bouquet?" Xigbar asked as he leaned against me, brushing his hand against my lower back as I glared at him and snapped, "Give me a minute. Trying to talk here Xigbar." He sighed and took a step back, heading for the museum entrance.

I glanced back and saw the look of doubt on his face as I rolled my eyes, gesturing to the older man.

"Xigbar is the exception, Demyx."

Demyx shook his head as he grabbed my radio, "Good luck with lunch then."

* * *

"So, are you treating me then?" I asked as I walked alongside Xigbar in the shopping district of Radiant Garden. "You can say that. I wanted to see what was buggin' you down," Xigbar explained as he waved the man over for some help at the counter.

"You too?" I asked, trying to keep myself from being agitated but I could see that Xigbar already caught onto my words.

"Relax babe, I'm just curious. If you don't wanna talk about not getting laid, you can just say so," Xigbar said cooly as he grabbed the two ice cream popsicles from the vendor.

I just stood there as I could feel my face getting hot before Xigbar gestured one of the popsicles to me. "I... Do you seriously think that is why I'm in a pissy mood?!" I hissed as Xigbar kept trying to shove the ice cream into my face.

"What, don't want it?"

"You fucking..."

Taking a deep breath, I swiped the ice cream from his hand before taking a bite, some of the ice cream dripping onto the floor. Xigbar just smirked as he licked his as it melted.

We continued walking through the district. I just chewing and scarfing down the ice cream as I grumbled to myself in annoyance at his comment.

_What does Xigbar know? Sure I'm not myself, but it doesn't mean I haven't been having sex lately!_ I thought to myself as I pulled the ice cream stick from my mouth seeing I had chewed up the wood in a blind rage.

I sighed as I tossed my ice cream stick away into the closest trash can before I turned to Xigbar still eating his.

"It's not about getting dicked down. I'm just struggling with work and the mentality to keep up with it all," I replied as Xigbar took a bite from his dripping ice cream. "I don't believe it," Xigbar said with a darkened look on his face.

I blinked as he finished his ice cream while he continued on, "I'm a man that knows when a woman needs some type of manhandling touch to get back into her sync cycle with the world. Why else would I try to help you out?"

"Because we're coworkers and I would have bit your head off anyways?"

Xigbar shook his head as he tossed the rest of the ice cream away, "Believe me Poppy. I think you haven't really processed the concept yet. You're with two handsome men and see them casually on the side. But have either of them made a move yet?"

I stopped in my tracks as I waited for him to catch up, "Your point?"

"My point being-" Xigbar pulled me aside to the alleyway next to the sidewalk and tilted my face towards his as his molten golden eye danced along my face, "Why shouldn't someone else take care of you?"

I raised an eyebrow before snorting in laughter. "Oh _please_ Xigbar, you are not going to be a bull in this scenario," I slapped his hand away and leaned back on the brick wall across from him. Xigbar looked amused before he stepped forward with both hands placed on either side of my body.

"And you don't even want to try?" Xigbar asked in a taunting tone, making me stick my tongue out at him, "I'm not trying to fuck all of my coworkers, thank you."

He just sighed before stepped away tapping his index finger to his lips, "Suit yourself, I don't wanna hear that you regret not getting dicked down by me in a month's time."

"Yeah yeah, why don't you shove your dick in some other unsuspecting victim enchanted by your dashing good looks?" I asked twirling my fingers through my hair as he grinned.

"Because they're not as pretty as you."

I blushed, seeing that he was enjoying getting a rise out of me before he checked his watch. "How are you feeling? Better or still in a sour mood," Xigbar asked as he adjusted his wrist band to his watch.

I was able to call him out, but I noticed that I was feeling a little more... relaxed as of the moment. I felt a small smile drift to my face as I nodded, "I feel better actually. Which is surprising."

Xigbar just shook his head and laughed, "It isn't really. I think you needed a breath of fresh air and not cooped up in the building for once. Plus, you need the exercise with us sitting at desks and all..."

The smile dropped from my face as I took a step forward wringing my sleeve out between my fingers. "Are you insisting that I got fat?"

The look on Xigbar's face turned to surprise before he cackled, "So what if I am? I love a woman with more to hold on-"

"You're such a douchebag!" I snapped as I stepped out from the alleyway and back up the street from where we came.

"Hey, Poppy! I was kidding, your fat ass is what I love about you! Come back here!"

I can hear Xigbar's voice calling from behind me as I made my way back to work, fuming with a new draft of wind in my sails.

* * *

"Welcome back, how did lunch go?" Xemnas asked as I stepped into the office, slamming my radio on my desk before I untied my hair from its ponytail.

I took a deep breath, realizing that I can't be mad at Xemnas when Xigbar started it. Realizing that I felt more fired up than gloomy, I smiled as I blew him a kiss.

"Xigbar is getting a bigger ass-whooping if he comes back anytime soon. Otherwise, I feel less like shit!" I said with a half-cracked grin as Xemnas smirked. "I would love to see you hand out some punches," He said as I sat down at my desk, seeing documents from Kairi and Vanitas needing signatures and approval.

"Believe me, so do I," I said with a smile as I turned to see Xigbar entering the office with a bright red handprint on his face.

Xemnas raised an eyebrow before I commented turning to the documents on my desk, "He tried to hit on a woman on a date with her girlfriend." Xemnas let out a small 'ah' and just went back to work trying to hide his amused smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a silly groundhog's day chapter that got dark. sometimes it just gets ahold of you until someone eases you out of the dark.


	17. Opium and Thorns

"Hey Marly, can you help Larxene with that big order of-"

"Don't worry about it. I got it Poppy!"

"Oh, thank you Aqua," Marluxia said with a small smile on his face as he tied his hair back into a messy bun.

The Secret Daisy has been booming with business now that the cafe's reputation has exceeded beyond the local's word of mouth. Once it rolled over to the first day of spring breakers coming into Radiant Gardens, the place was mostly overrun on weekends now.

Aqua had reached out to Marluxia and Larxene for additional help since they were such a massive help during the Holidays. They both agreed and have been working non-stop for over the last few weekends now.

Our conversations are usually short and simple during our normal work lives at the Museum, but here...

"Hey Poppy, have you gotten Order 48's parfaits to the tables yet?"

"Not yet Larxene, gimmie a mo- SHIT!" I could feel the ground slip underneath me as I clenched the two glasses of yogurt in my hand, more afraid of the customer's rage rather than my well-being.

I felt a pair of arms grab me tightly from underneath my armpits, hoisting me to my feet before I crashed.

"Careful there, you also ate it really badly. I guess we might have spilled some water earlier, we should really get that cleaned up before it's too late," Marluxia said as I glanced up to see his glowing face and his twinkling blue eyes.

"Fuck... Thanks a lot, Marluxia." I said as I took a slower stride to finish the parfait on my side of the counter. He nodded as he glanced over to Larxene to make sure she wasn't swallowed up in customers at the register.

He quickly made work to get Aqua to bring him a mop once it slows down again with the wave of customers.

* * *

"That was fucking awesome you guys. I was a little nervous about giving a raise to the both of you, but I think it's really worth it." Aqua looked at Marluxia and Larxene with a beaming look on his face. They leaned against the counter after a long day of work and cleaning the area up.

"It's like you had no faith in us," Larxene scoffed a little insulted as Marluxia ran his fingers against his aching scalp from the headache he was recovering from.

"Come on guys, Aqua has been like... super grateful and even talks about it a lot when we go out for dinner afterward," I said as I strolled over from wiping down the tables of any spilled coffee or tea bag stains.

Aqua nods as she claps her hands together smiling, "How about the four of us go out to dinner together? I'll make it a treat as our first month working together again."

Marluxia and Larxene glanced over at each other before shrugging.

"We don't really have plans, so why not?" Larxene said with a toothy smile as I stretched my hands over my head, "Actually... I was thinking of taking it easy and heading back to the apartment. The three of you can go without me, I'll make sure to lock the door Aqua."

Aqua blinked, a little surprised that I was declining the offer for dinner before shrugging.

"No problem Poppy. Don't eat all of the ice cream in the freezer at least."

"No promises," I said with a wink before rushing to the back of the small break room to toss my apron into the dirty laundry bag and grabbing my keys.

I walked past the three of them and gave them a quick salute before heading out the front door.

As I tossed my keys into the air, I strolled across the street, making my way to the trolley stop so I can catch the next one. I fished for my phone from my pocket to see a few text messages from Xemnas and Terra

I scrolled through to see that Xemnas wanted to make plans for tomorrow evening:

> _How does going out to Traverse Town sound?_
> 
> _There's a hole in the wall-type restaurant where I wouldn't usually take you to._
> 
> _But I think you'd really enjoy the spicy food. _ _-X_

I just smirked before texting him a reply:

> _That sounds amazing! Although I don't think they can put you on the menu._

After seeing the message had sent, I tapped on the next contact down to see what Terra sent me.

I held back a snort as I saw Terra trying to flirt with a terrible pickup line:

> _Hey Poppy, I hope you're having a good day! I've been learning about important dates in history. Wanna be one of them?_

I just mouthed the word 'wow' as I tossed my keys in my free hand while furiously typing up a terrible reply:

> _Terra, you must be a campfire. Because you're on fire with your flirting game, super hot, and I want s'more._

I just smirked hitting send and getting a reply back immediately. I raised my eyebrows before my face went red as I scrolled down.

Terra sent a photo of himself, shirtless in his bathroom mirror with a pair of grey sweatpants that barely hung along his hips. I could see the tinted blush brushing across his confused face as I read the text underneath:

> _Some of the guys said women love getting pictures like this._
> 
> _They also said that I was a 'himbo' and I was too afraid to look it up._

"Well, they definitely hit the nail on the head with that one."

I screeched as I turned around with my phone in my hand about to deck a person with my keys in hand to see Marluxia was standing there with a dirty grin on his face.

"Do you mind? Why are you reading texts over my-?!"

I paused before dropping my guard and gesturing a finger at his chest, "I thought that you were going to get dinner with Aqua and Larxene."

He shrugged his shoulders and yawned, "I was strangely beat after today so didn't feel like running on fumes. Mind if I join you until we go separate ways?"

I felt my body starting to unwind from the stress and nodding, "Ah... Sure, I don't see why not."

* * *

"You know..."

"What's up?"

"When I said 'sure, you can totally walk with me Marluxia'..."

I held my tongue trying to think of the right words to say before pointing a finger at his face, "I didn't expect you to come into my apartment building and walk me all the way to my door!"

Marluxia just let out a heartful laugh before shaking his head.

I could feel my eyebrows furrow as he looked down at me smiling, "You're so cute when you're mad, but I guess I didn't expect up to be neighbors."

"You live in this apartment too? Where's your place?"

"11B. My roommate moved out a while ago so I've been just paying to keep it all to myself. What about you?"

"I'm over in 4E with Aqua. Although, I guess it'd be nice to have a place of my own someday and not relying on her," I explained as we stepped onto the elevator.

"Hm, how about coming up to my place and checking it out? The layout is the same as the other apartments, but maybe it'll give you an idea if you really want to be alone," Marluxia suggested just as I pressed the buttons for 4F and 11F.

"Sure, why not? Is there anything I should know about your apartment? Like no shoes inside or some crazy rules?" I asked as Marluxia smirked as the elevator chimed, opening on my floor before closing the doors.

"Nothing crazy, but how allergic are you to pollen?"

"I'm pretty tolerant. Do you have an indoor to outdoor pet or something?" I asked, wondering what type of question is that.

"Uhm... Something like that," Marluxia said, tapping his fingers against his tapered collar on his shirt. I glanced over at him, kind of realizing that Marluxia was always dressed in a professional manner.

Even when Larxene started to dress down and a little more casual, Marluxia was still wearing nice dress shirts and slacks when he comes to work with Aqua on the weekends. Even in the pale pink shirt, his frame was still of a smaller... I guess a leaner build?

_Why am I so bad at describing people to myself_, I thought to myself as the elevator doors opened up and we exited out onto the 11th Floor. Marluxia took the lead as he made his way down the hallway from the elevator and pulled out his keys, letting himself into his apartment.

As I followed him inside, the massive scent of perfume hit my nose immediately that I moved my hand to my face by instinct. Marluxia turned on the lights by the front door and I realized that his room was covered in plants.

From floor to ceiling, there was an array of potted plants hanging in various planters, dressed along bookshelves and the window sill. Slowly walking around, I eventually took my hand away from my nose once the plant fumes seem to die down.

"I guess I forget that I'm so used to smelling the plants every day, it would be overwhelming for a newcomer to stop by," Marluxia said with a sheepish smile on his face as I finally scanned past the plants to get a look at the rest of the apartment.

The walls were painted with a light mint green tint. A deep mahogany leather couch faced a small coffee table that more plants and books rested upon near the middle of the room.

There were a handful of photos on the walls as the apartment slowly split up down the hallways to the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom respectively.

"What... More like, how do you get people to come over here and fuck you?" I said out loud as Marluxia crossed his arms over his chest as he pouted in a cute manner as he towered over me.

"I either ask to go back to their place or make the excuse that I'm watching all of our neighborhood's plants if they're quite insistent," He said with a sly smirk on his face.

I rolled my eyes at him before stepping over to brush my fingers along a small plant with white and yellow blooms sitting on the coffee table.

"Well, this is definitely not what I expected when coming up here, that's for damn sure."

"Impressed? I donate plants to the Museum for the galas we hold. Although I wish I could make a pretty penny, but 'Wage regulations' and whatnot can be a pain in the ass," Marluxia said as he stepped over to the open kitchen doorway and started pouring a glass of water for himself.

"I'm just baffled," I said crouching down to the floor to take a better look at the flowers before pulling my phone out, seeing I still had not sent a reply back to Terra after the photo he sent. I could feel a blush rise to my cheeks as I scrolled past the photo and started texting him back.

I suddenly pulled my phone up to the flower and took a photo while speaking up, "Hey Marluxia? What type of flower is this?"

"Ah? Oh, I think those you are looking at are plumerias. They're very beautiful tropical plants, Larxene smuggled one back from a vacation she came back from a couple years ago. It just finally started to bloom a few days ago," He said as he peeked his head into the living room to see me crouched next to the potted flowers with my phone out.

"Oh, that's really cool, do you know any good-" I stopped as I felt Marluxia's knees pressing against my back, making me look up to see the graceful gentleman raising an eyebrow at my screen.

"You should definitely get a better picture than that. Hang on..."

Marluxia snatched my phone from my hands and quickly plucked one of the few blossoming plumerias from the plant and tucked it behind my right ear. He leaned down before clicking his tongue against his teeth before holding my phone up, "Smile Poppy."

I blinked in surprise and tried to force a smile while twiddling my hands in my lap, "Like this?"

Marluxia lowered the phone for a moment as I could see the dissatisfied look on his face from my expression.

"S-sorry. I just can't smile on the fly-"

"What did Cinderella do when she arrived at the ball?"

I blinked for a moment before raising an eyebrow at Marluxia as a grin grew wider on his face. "Uh... I don't know. What did she do?"

Marluxia just looked at me dead in the eyes as he made a short gagging noise.

I fucking lost it as I turned my head and started cracking up with laughter.

Marluxia smiled as he raised the camera up as I was trying to fight back the tears of laughter.

* * *

"Thanks for having me over, even though we just had popcorn for dinner." I said with a smile as Marluxia leaned against the doorframe with a smile on his face and his hair draped over his shoulders.

"Thank you for accompanying me back to my apartment. I must say, it's nice that you didn't dislike my plants or try to smuggle out the expensive ones," He replied as I smiled tucking the hibiscus further behind my right ear.

"You're welcome I guess? It's a little silly to say, but we should hang out again sometime." I said as I could see the quizzical look appear on Marluxia's face.

"Really?"

"Do you have a problem with not hanging out with Larxene 24/7?"

Marluxia just chuckled under his breath as he stepped forward, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, "It's not that, I think your men might get the short end of the stick if we do spend more time being friendly."

I scowled as his blue eyes sparkled for a second before he winked, slinking back to inside his apartment.

"I'll steal you away and I'll never hear the end of it from Xemnas."

"Oh please, you would not."

"Do you want to bet on that Poppy? Or would giving you an orgasm be plenty?" The look on Marluxia's face darkened for a second while I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks in embarrassment.

"D-don't say that out loud!"

"What, you mean-" Marluxia leaned out and cupped his hands over his mouth as he shouted, "ORGASM?"

"Shut up Marly!" I said as I hurried to the elevator and pressed the button hoping it'd open up before any of his neighbors came out to see what the ruckus was about.

"GLAD THAT I COULD GIVE YOU ONE MISS-"

"GOOD NIGHT!" I blurted out loud with my face getting red by the second as the elevator doors opened and I dashed inside, hoping to make it to my floor with no more embarrassing stunts.

I opened my phone as the elevator went down the shaft before opening on my floor. I just smiled as I saw the image and text that Marluxia send to Terra and Xemnas.

The photo was one of the few shots that Marluxia took after making me crack up at his dirty joke. My head thrown back with laughter while my hair was draped down my back as I sat on his living room floor surrounded my plants in the background with a small text bubble underneath the caption:

> _I can't wait to spend time with you. Lots of love, your Poppy_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy May y'all. It's been too hot and the weather reminds me of the desert. Really wanted to have Marluxia's place decorated in this old fashion 60's vibe with crazy sun-bleached colors.


	18. Dance Among The Office

"Thank you for picking me up Xemnas, I really appreciate it," I said with a smile as Xemnas walked along my side to the train station. "It is a pleasure to be able to come get you and whisk you away to dinner," Xemnas said cooly as I could feel my cheeks were starting to turn pink under the blazing sun overhead.

"I... I see," I said quietly as I glanced over at Xemnas. He said that we were going to a casual restaurant out in Traverse Town, but he looks damn good in a normal t-shirt and jeans.

Even with a tanned leather corded bracelet wrapped around his wrist with a silver band, he really put a lot into his appearance. The only thing I could say looked casual yet sexy on him was his glasses that had a thick white edge with no special trim added to it.

Thankfully I knew how Xemnas' tastes usually ran so I decided to wear a simple cotton dress with embroidered flowers along the hemline with a blue blazer over it. I decided to take the time to braid my hair and drape it over my left shoulder, curling the ends so it looked fuller.

"Are you sure that you are dressed comfortably?" I was knocked out of my thoughts as I glanced over to see Xemnas towering over my small frame on the sidewalk. I nodded before cocking my head to the side, "I think that I am, why do you ask?"

Xemnas blinked for a moment before running his hand through his hair, "Just making sure you are going to be okay for the trip. It will take a while to get to and from Traverse Town, so I rather make sure you are well prepared for the trip."

I found an aloof smile on my face as I linked arms with him tightly, "That's not a problem, but seriously Xemnas. It'll be okay! I know that... you've been going over the top for dates out town lately, I really appreciate it!"

Xemnas looked down before raising an eyebrow, knowing that I probably wasn't going to stop there.

"...Buuuut, you know you don't have to set the bar so high on dates. Even a simple night out would be perfect. Some times, going small and simple is the best," I said, running my hand down and interlocking with his fingers.

I could feel myself smiling as I could feel how much bigger his hand was compared to mine and just wanting to feel those hands on my...

_Hey, hey, hey! Let's try to keep this PG!_ I could hear my own subconscious was starting to fight with me.

_...But then again..._

_I don't even know what he's like in the bedroom..._ Another thought popped into my head as I squeezed Xemnas' hand tighter.

"Would you... rather we do something different tonight?" Xemnas asked, snapping me out of the inner dialogue with myself as I looked up at him.

"Ah? I mean..." I came to a stop as Xemnas looked down at me with a hard expression.

A thought came to my mind as I looked up at him, "I... Can we have a date at work?" The look on Xemnas' face turned from one of puzzlement to comfort within the moment.

"I mean... It's not like I've ever had a proper time to go through the museum as a guest before starting work. If you rather not, I can always go on another day by-"

Xemnas squeezed my hand back in reassurance before leaning down to plant a chaste kiss on my forehead, "I think the flowers should be in bloom now that it's warming up."

* * *

"Welcome to the Radiant Gardens Historial Museum and-"

Ventus stopped in the middle of this spiel as he saw Xemnas and I standing there at the front desk. He looked around for a second before raising an eyebrow, "Isn't it both of your day off?"

"Two tickets to see the gallery spaces please, think we can check it out with our employee badges?" I said with a cheeky smile as Xemnas stood by letting me take care of the transaction. Ventus just glanced between Xemnas and me before throwing a grin at me as he added our attendance to the system.

"Well, I guess you two have fun on your date then. There are no tours going on today and the gardens are open. We have a band playing over by the greenhouse if you want to check it out this afternoon. Just make sure to leave at 6:00 p.m. when we close to the general public," Ventus explained as he handed us our receipt.

"Thanks Ventus! Good luck with the rest of your shift," I said with a smile before we stepped away from the main lobby.

"I am surprised to see you so friendly with the rest of the staff in other departments," Xemnas commented as we turned down to Gallery A, seeing that the hallways were bustling with crowds of families and individuals making their way around the museum.

I smiled before brushing my hand against his as we observed the sculpture pieces on display, "Since the Guest Services team needed help during the Spring Break rush, I've been trying to get along with everyone. No need for internal drama."

Xemnas nodded as he pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose smiling, "Of course. Was there anything specific you wanted to see today? It probably is a shock to see people actually here compared to how quiet it is during the week."

I placed my hand to my chin before looking down, pondering on what I knew about the museum from an employee standpoint.

* * *

"Do you mind if we stop by the offices for a quick moment?"

I paused to look back at him as we finished looking around in the gardens, enjoying the crisp weather as I cocked my head to the side. "Did you forget something important you needed to take home?"

The look on Xemnas' face was a little emotionless but something in his eyes said otherwise, even before he glanced away. "It's not a big concern and can wait but..." He said softly, his voice was still silk to my ears as I could feel myself smile, deciding that the little trip up to the offices isn't a bad thing.

"Sure thing!"

As we made our way up the staircase, we started talking about work of course. We had both been busy on different projects, and he let me ramble on about the financial issues that Even had wanted me to look over for Isa and Ansem's approval.

"Please always come to me if you have any issues reading that paperwork. Sometimes Even forgets who he hands what to and expects it to be done with perfection," Xemnas chuckled lightly as he started pulling his keys out as I followed behind him, grateful for his mentorship, but also embarrassed.

It was... weird dating your boss, and he wasn't the only one in the organization I was into as well. How anyone hasn't come down on her with a 'No horny hammer' at work has been a blessing, but it's not like it was the biggest drama when others date around the organization! I just assumed if anything...

Because Xemnas _is_ my boss, is that where people would draw the line.

I didn't realize that I was absentmindedly following Xemnas to our offices and found myself standing in the hallway. I peeked in to see Xemnas was rummaging around the dimly lit office, as he didn't seen to turn the lights on and the blinds to the window right behind his desk were pulled shut.

"Ah, Poppy?"

My head perked up as I slowly stepped into the office, "Yes, Xemnas?"

"I... Nevermind, I found it."

Xemnas pulls out some files as I raise an eyebrow at him.

"You're taking paperwork home?" I asked, seeing that the files he had were a little... thicker than expected. How he couldn't find it immediately was beyond me.

"I was working on some documentation for the exhibition grants and realized I forgot a piece behind here. If the deadline wasn't coming up at the end of this week, I wouldn't be taking work home," Xemnas explained as I could feel a weird feeling on the back of my neck. It kind of felt like I was being watched, but I don't think anyone else was up here...

"Ah, I can't believe you said this wasn't important enough to come up here! But... you have to make sure not to push yourself too hard with work."

Xemnas nods as I walk towards him, pushing myself back to lean back against his desk. "Now, shall we get going then?" I asked as Xemnas circled his desk with the folder in hand before placing it down on the wooden surface.

"Of course, we definitely have more to go see downstairs."

I smiled about to push off from the desk but Xemnas stepped in front of me, boxing me in as he placed his hands on either side of me, firmly planted on the desk.

"Er... Shouldn't we-"

Xemnas leaned down to press a kiss firmly on my lips. I could feel my heart flutter in my chest as Xemnas closed the distance between us as his hands slide their way onto my waist, firmly holding me in place.

My hands trailed up his chest and wrapping loosely around his neck, one of my hands buried in his silver locks as I pulled him in for a deeper kiss.

Xemnas groaned for a second as he rubbed his tongue for entry, making me want to fight back and not give him what he wanted for the moment. I was caught by surprise as he shifted his knee between my legs and hoisting me to sit on the top of his desk.

Within that moment of letting my guard slip, he penetrated his tongue in between my lips, making me embrace the aggressive nature of the kiss. I grabbed a fistful of his hair as I broke the kiss, breathing heavily as I leaned my forehead against his.

From how Xemnas' bangs framed his face, I found myself hypnotized as I could only see his golden-amber eyes full of hunger. "I... Wasn't expecting that from you," I whispered, feeling my heart was pounding heavily in my chest like I was trapped by a wolf.

"Do you know how hard it is to keep appearances when I'm around you?" Xemnas asked, his hands kneading my waist in a tender manner before one of his hands slowly glide up my back.

I blushed furiously as Xemnas' deep voice started drawing me in as he spoke, "It takes a lot to keep myself from dragging you to a quiet place, just to have you to myself."

He leaned down and planted a firm kiss against my neck, baring his teeth for a second as he bit lightly. An agonized moan slipped from my mouth, and that seemed to catch Xemnas by surprise as it came out a lot louder than I expected.

I could feel Xemnas pull back before planting another kiss against my collar bone, feeling a smirk on his devilish lips as he pulled back. As he stood over me, I could feel smaller in his presence, as his height over me made me feel like I really was the prey in this instance.

"You must notice when I was sitting here, watching you while you're working. Oh, the things I'd want to do when I see you bend and reaching over your desk if you forget something..."

I felt Xemnas' hand move down my down and gripping my waist tightly as he leaned in for another lustful kiss.

Feeling my hips being dragged forward until I could feel something hard rubbing against my inner thigh through Xemnas' pants. A muffled whimper escaped my lips as I could feel Xemnas adjusting until my core was rubbing directing over his hardened member.

"W-well, Xemnas... Are you sure this is the best place to be doing such a thing?" I asked, fluttering my eyelashes up at him as a lopsided smirk fell into place.

"It isn't but at the same time..." Xemnas' voice dropped for a second as his hands were slowly pushing the hem of my dress over my thighs, "Could you really keep yourself together when you're divine to the touch and taste?"

My face was feeling rather hot before he leaned in again, whispering into my ear before we heard a knock. Xemnas and I froze before we heard a forced cough behind us.

"Come on you love birds, no snogging in the office. Least remember that I work on the weekends up here," A scoffed voice said as Xemnas glanced over his shoulder to see Marluxia leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest with a file in hands.

Xemnas' hand gripped the file on the desk, I would assume he'd crumple it in an instant. An annoyed glint on his face as I felt my face getting hotter with every second as his other hand slid my skirt back down.

Marluxia had a smug smirk on his face before he took his leave, "Do it somewhere where you won't get caught next time. Don't know how you didn't notice me on the way in..."

As we heard the footsteps go down the hallway, I placed my hand on Xemnas' face, almost jerking him back to look at me with a frustrated expression. "Well... I don't know if you want to leave with... that going on right now," I said, gesturing down to below his belt as Xemnas sighed.

"I'll take care of it, if you want to go back down stairs," Xemnas ushered me off of his desk, almost shoving me lightly back towards the rest of the admin office. I stopped, and turned around with a glint of devious nature cross my face, "Or..."

I trailed my hand down, unfasting the button on his pants as he cocked an eyebrow up as I asked, "I could always... help you?"

* * *

"You really..."

Xemnas could barely form a sentence as he held the back of my head. I just had a massive grin on my face as I licked the tip of his cock, just lapping at it gently as I wanted to take my time with it.

I got Xemnas to sit back in his office chair and well... It came down to this. Dirty office fantasies that I didn't expect to be doing in a million years with the boss I'm dating. Fucking hell, might as well say I'm moving up the ladder.

"Just say please Xemnas, _sir_." I taunted for a moment, knowing that I spent way too much teasing him with this blowjob as I could see the man was almost like putty in my hands. He grunted between his lips before tightening his grip on my hair.

"_Suck_," Xemnas growled in a low tone that I would feel myself wanting to do so much more than suck him right now. Opening my mouth, I popped the head of his cock into my mouth, swirling my tongue around it like a treat before taking inch by inch into my throat.

Xemnas seemed to not be able to handle it anymore as he held my head tightly and proceeded to thrust his hips upward. Gagging at the sudden impact of his dick in my throat, I tried to pull back, making Xemnas more frustrated before he shoved my head back down.

I let out a muffled moan as I felt my knees were grinding against the cold wooden floor, completely turned on ever since the change in events.

"I didn't expect you to be so... turned on since we got caught. Tell me dear, do you love the thrill of humiliation?" Xemnas said in a flirtatious tone, rubbing the back of my head with his fingers as I deepthroated him, letting out a muffled whimper in response before he let me pull my head back.

Pulling my mouth away from his drool covered cock, I blushed stammering as I looked up at my date. "I... Well..." I stumbled across my words, evading the satisfied smirk on the Department Head's face as I turned my attention back to his throbbing member.

Xemnas might not be supreme in length, but my god did he have a good thickness to him for an average size. And god, did it make me hungry for more. Putting it back onto my mouth as I started to suck him again, a primal growl escaped his lips again as he enjoyed letting me suck him off.

"Poppy, you.... fuck...!" Xemnas tightened his grip again as he felt me graze my teeth lightly against his skin, instinctively wanting to punish me. "If that's how you want it..."

Xemnas pulled me away from his cock as he forced me to gag on it, catching a breath as I looked up at him with my face red as a rose before he yanked me to my feet, standing up from his chair as well.

"Wait, what-"

I was cut off as he bent me over his wooden desk, and pulling my dress' skirt over my ass, showing Xemnas the thong I was wearing, started to look soaked from my own excitement through all of that we did. "Now, I wonder why you dressed like this today. A simple sundress with a very flimsy thong..." Xemnas leaned forward to growl in my ear as I held myself up on the desk, before feeling his right hand wrap around my throat.

"Can't a girl tease a man until he gives what she wants?" I said before I felt a stinging pain across my ass. "Good girls don't do that," Xemnas said with a smirk as his hand came down on my ass again.

Muffling my yelps and moans, I curled up against the desktop until I felt Xemnas pulling my own soaked thong across my ass and started to run his fingers against the slit. "Now, do you deserve what I want to give you though?" Xemnas' words felt like torture as I tried to grind back against his fingers.

"Xemnas! Please, I want you," I said, almost in a plea as I felt two fingers slide between my folds, making me jolt against the touch like I've been starving for it. "Have you always been this needy?" He chuckled darkly before pulling his fingers at a taunting way as I let out an involuntary moan.

"Fuck... Why... Xem..." I said in a sobbing plea wanting him to end the teasing as Xemnas fish-hooked his fingers against my insides, repeating rubbing against the same spot, knowing that I was melting in the palm of his hand.

"What do you want Poppy?"

Losing my senses as I could feel myself being drawn into Xemnas' voice as he spoke, I spoke softly, "I want you to fuck me, please sir. I want you so badly." I whimpered immediately as I felt his fingers leave me before I felt an awfully familiar object pressing against my throbbing core, "Are you sure my dear? I won't stop until I have you wanting more."

I shook my head as I whimpered, "Please fuck me Xemn-" My head was turned to the side as Xemnas leaned in kissing me passionately as I felt myself getting filled with his cock. I moaned into the kiss from his size, but as he started to move his hips, I started to melt in his arms.

Our Department office was probably the only 4-walled area that could contain both mine and Xemnas' moans and dirty talking as things kind of picked up after a few minutes. The next thing that I knew, my hair was falling over my shoulders and face as Xemnas was fucking me from behind. The wet noises between the two of us were already embarrassing enough when we got caught before we even went any further.

But I did not give a damn about being caught. I was just riding the waves wanting an orgasm to hit me like a hurricane. Xemnas suddenly placed his hand on my head before pushing me down onto the desk as he growled, almost in a threatening way.

"Did you really have to come back this way?"

Footsteps started walking towards the desk as I suddenly snapped out of the lustful state as I soon heard a small 'tsk'. "Well, you know that I can't have some... visitors finding a way to defile the museum while I'm on the clock," The voice hit me like a fucking anvil as Xemnas' hand left the back of head before my head was tipped to look back up.

Marluxia was standing over my bent over form in front of the desk with a stack of files tucked beneath his other arm. I wanted to speak, feeling my face getting hot as Marluxia's smirk made me realize that this was bad... In so many fucking ways.

With Marluxia's hand cupping my chin, the smile on his face did not reach his eyes as a flicker of dominance crossed them. "Now... If I heard correctly from outside of the office from all of your moans, aren't you just a bad girl?" Marluxia asked in a coy fashion as Xemnas took my distraction as an out. He place his hands on either side of the desk and thrust into me again, rougher than before.

"Ah... Wait! Xemnas, I.. We should g-go..." I could feel my gaze not able to leave Marluxia's as he brushed his thumb over my bottom lip, dragging it across as I felt my brain getting fogged up with waves of lust again.

"Well... You're already here, why don't you finish what you started?" Marluxia's voices reached my ears as I whimpered in response to his words. Xemnas chuckled lowly as I felt his hand come down hard on my exposed ass, "Didn't plan on stopping again."

My eyes lite up from Xemnas' answer as I tried to push myself up from the desk as I could feel my heart pounding my crazy. "X-xemnas! This isn't funn-"

I felt my face tilted upwards as Marluxia leaned in with a hungry kiss, biting my lip aggressively as he held my head in his hands. Another moan slipped from my mouth as I could feel Marluxia's hands were cold against my flustered face and Xemnas continued to fuck me like an aggressive alpha. Marluxia pulled back with a sly look in his eyes as he watched me become undone by Xemnas' treatment.

"My my, you really _are_ a naughty girl. Letting another man kiss you while you service another with your body. Now... What does that say about you, Miss Poppy?" Marluxia's voice almost sent me into orgasm as I felt Xemnas' hand grab a fistful of my hair.

"I... It..."

I was completely lost on words as I felt the lust blanket my brain. Just by Marluxia's little stunt of a kiss, my eyes started to linger his body to see that he was wearing black slacks with a button-up maroon shirt. With his hair actually down for once, it fluttered down to his shoulders as draped his face as it held a mischievous smile on it.

"Heh, well it doesn't matter," Marluxia's hand stroked against my cheek while my eyelids started to flutter closed, completely at the will of both of these men, "Because I just want to see you _sing_ your heart out."

* * *

"Taxi will be here to take you both in about 30 minutes."

Marluxia said calmly as he entered the office to see Xemnas adjusting himself while Poppy was fallen asleep with Marluxia's suit coat draped over her sleeping form as she was curling up in Xemnas' chair.

"Ah, thank you... I didn't expect her to... fall asleep after those orgasms hit her so badly," Xemnas said as he glanced away from the other Department head that was standing not far from him.

The pink-haired man with smirked as he crossed his arms over her chest, "I just hope her moans couldn't be heard in the rest of the museum. Although... I have to ask."

Xemnas glanced over to see Marluxia crossing across the floorboard with an ice-cold glare on his face, "I won't be part of your little cuck games if you wanted to text me, just to see her wrap around your... Was going to say finger, but dick at this point."

"You didn't have to look at your phone you know," Xemnas retorted as Marluxia scoffed, "And miss seeing Miss Poppy unwound like that? Xemnas?"

Xemnas was silent as he went over to stroke Poppy's face as she let out a little involuntary moan from the touch, nuzzling into his hand, wondering what type of dream the satisfied woman was having.

"I know she has another thing going with the kid out in the Preservation Team, but you know you just opened the door for the others, correct?"

Xemnas stopped before turning around to see the satisfied smirk on Marluxia's face. "You _never_ date inside the organization." Marluxia tapped his fingers against his forearm before turning around on his heels, heading outside of the office.

"Well... Maybe I'll make an exception. Shouldn't have texted me, because you, my _dear_ friend, just woke this assassin to take her heart and body for myself," A grin flashed over Marluxia's face as he went back to his office, knowing that he wasn't going to get any other work done the rest of today.


End file.
